Vienna’s newest museum: 21erHaus

The opening of the 21er Haus was a much anticipated event in Vienna’s art circles. After all, the former 20er Haus museum was closed for more than 10 years, and only reopened in November 2011 with a new look for a new century.  

The building itself was originally designed in 1958 by the Austrian architect Karl Schwanzer (1918-1975) as a pavilion for the Universal Exhibition in Brussels, Belgium. The architectural structure of the pavilion meets all  interdisciplinary requirements of a contemporary museum with light, clearly organized exhibition and event spaces and a movie theater. The 21er Haus now has been carefully adapted and extended by Adolf Krischanitz, a student of Karl Schwanzer.

Today the 21er Haus serves as a platform for Austrian art in an international context with a focus on art from 1945 to today. The new museum also houses the Wotruba Foundation’s permanent collection and the Austrian government’s Artothek (contemporary art collection).
The 21er Haus museum is managed together with its neighbor, the famous Belvedere Palace, and a visit can easily be combined.