wes anderson exhibition unveils 30 years of worldbuilding
A monumental candy-pink model of the Grand Budapest Hotel greets visitors inside the Design Museum’s newest exhibition, Wes Anderson: The Archives, a landmark retrospective that gathers more than 700 objects from the filmmaker’s world (find designboom’s previous coverage here). Opening on November 21st, 2025, and running until July 26th, 2026, the show marks the first time Wes Anderson’s archives have been publicly displayed in the UK, bringing together 30 years of filmmaking, including storyboards, costumes, notebooks, miniature sets, and newly revealed pieces from his latest feature, The Phoenician Scheme (2025).
all images by Luke Hayes, unless stated otherwise
an unprecedented look inside the filmmaker’s personal archive
For nearly thirty years, Wes Anderson has preserved thousands of objects from every film he has made, a habit that began after discovering that all the items created for Bottle Rocket (1996) had been dispersed by the production company. From Rushmore (1998) onward, he has acted as the custodian of each crafted element, making sure that even the most fleeting on-screen objects were kept intact. The Design Museum and la Cinémathèque française have now been granted rare access to this trove. More than 300 pieces not shown in Paris have been added for the London edition, offering an expanded, behind-the-scenes reading of how Anderson constructs his distinct visual worlds.
Across the exhibition, visitors encounter original storyboards, polaroids, sketches, and Wes Anderson’s spiral-bound notebooks filled with handwritten ideas and scene studies. The chronological layout traces his evolution from the 1990s through The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023) and The Phoenician Scheme (2025), with each film occupying its own section.
Wes Anderson in front of the Grand Budapest Hotel model | image by Matt Alexander, PA Media Assignments
newly revealed props from the phoenician scheme
For the first time, objects from Anderson’s latest feature appear in a museum setting. These include over two dozen items, such as a Dunhill pipe and a jeweled dagger crafted by artist Harumi Klossowska de Rola. In the words of curators Lucia Savi and Johanna Agerman Ross, ‘The inclusion of these objects from The Phoenician Scheme is a fitting conclusion of this expansive exhibition… So, we are thrilled that we can bring this latest chapter in Wes Anderson’s story to visitors.’
The film’s protagonist, Anatole ‘Zsa-zsa’ Korda, a devoted collector within the narrative, becomes a mirror for Anderson’s own lifelong instinct to gather and preserve.
Wes Anderson has preserved thousands of objects from every film he has made
iconic pieces from across the filmography at the design museum
Among the most striking displays is the three-meter-wide model of the Grand Budapest Hotel facade, used during the filming of the 2014 movie. Nearby, visitors encounter the vending machines from Asteroid City (2023), the FENDI fur coat worn by Gwyneth Paltrow as Margot Tenenbaum, and original puppets of the fantastical sea creatures from The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004). The exhibition also reunites The Grand Budapest Hotel’s Boy with Apple painting with costumes worn by Ralph Fiennes as concierge Gustave H and Tilda Swinton as Madame D, one of many instances where crafted artworks, wardrobe pieces, and narrative objects are shown together to illuminate how Anderson forms character through design.
Costumes, a crucial part of his world-building, appear in abundance, including Milena Canonero’s Oscar-winning ensembles from The Grand Budapest Hotel, uniforms from Rushmore, the Zissou crew’s full outfits, and looks worn by Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Benicio del Toro, Jason Schwartzman, Jeffrey Wright, and others. A large selection of puppets from Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) and Isle of Dogs (2018), featuring Mr. Fox in his corduroy suit and the show dog Nutmeg, reveals the meticulous labor behind Anderson’s stop-motion productions.
The show also screens three key short films in full: Bottle Rocket (1993), Hotel Chevalier (2007), and Castello Cavalcanti (2013), as well as The Swan from Anderson’s 2023 Roald Dahl anthology. Seen together, they trace his evolving use of the short-form format, from early collaborations with Owen Wilson to later partnerships with Prada.
For visitors, the 14-minute original Bottle Rocket short is a notable highlight, rarely shown and foundational to the filmmaker’s early development.
featuring costumes worn by Ralph Fiennes as concierge Gustave H and Tilda Swinton as Madame D
filmmaking through collaboration
A major thread in the exhibition focuses on the contributions of Anderson’s long-standing collaborators: illustrators Javi Aznarez and Eric Chase Anderson; composers Alexandre Desplat and Randall Poster; production designers Mark Friedberg and Adam Stockhausen; costume designer Milena Canonero; model maker Simon Weisse; puppet fabricator Andy Gent; and many others. ‘It is an absolute gift that even as a young film-maker Wes Anderson had the vision and foresight to save all his props and beautifully crafted objects for his own archive,’ notes Johanna Agerman Ross. Director of the Design Museum Tim Marlow adds that Anderson’s attention to detail ‘is underpinned by an acute understanding of design and craftsmanship, which is why the Design Museum is the perfect location for this landmark retrospective.’
While the exhibition premiered in Paris earlier this year, the London edition is significantly expanded and re-imagined. The additional 300+ objects and new interpretive focus offer a deeper look at the craftsmanship behind Anderson’s world-building — from the texture of fabrics to the engineering of miniatures and the layering of references that shape each narrative universe. An accompanying catalogue, produced with Anderson, brings together essays, interviews, and photography that extend the exhibition’s themes, featuring voices from collaborators including Owen Wilson, Scarlett Johansson, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Alexandre Desplat, Seu Jorge, and Randall Poster.
the show marks the first time Wes Anderson’s archives have been publicly displayed in the UK
costumes and creatures from The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
model of Deep Search, Steve Zissou’s submarine
costumes and objects from Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
items featured in Asteroid City (2023)
miniature figures from Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
figures from Isle of Dogs (2018)
scene from Isle of Dogs (2018)
Fantastic Mr. Fox figure
the London edition is significantly expanded and re-imagined
bringing together 30 years of filmmaking
project info:
name: Wes Anderson: The Archives
museum: the Design Museum | @designmuseum
location: 224-238 Kensington High Street, London, United Kingdom
collaborator: La Cinémathèque francaise | @cinemathequefr
dates: November 21st 2025 – July 26th 2026
curators: Lucia Savi, Johanna Agerman Ross
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