In the heart of European design

Alfred Altherr, Max Bill, René Burri, Herbert Matter, Sophie Taeuber-Arp and, obviously, Le Courbusier, are just some of the names that have contributed to making Switzerland an important centre for visual arts and design. This patrimony has been under the protection of the Museum für Gestaltung since 1875. With a collection of more than 500 thousand works, including items from the fields of design, applied arts, graphics and posters, it is one of the most important design culture institutions in Europe. There are two venues: the original Modernist building on Ausstellungsstrasse, and the new branch in the Toni-Areal area. The first houses a selection of the original collection and a presentation of contemporary Swiss furniture, and also plays host to exhibitions and workshops.

The second part of the museum, located in an ex-milk processing factory, contains the large part of the collection, divided into four sections: Graphics, Decorative Arts, Poster, Design. The latter focuses on Swiss industrial design, with items from Italy, Scandinavia and the USA. As well as the completed items, there are also a large number of prototypes that demonstrate the processes of research and development.

The Museum für Gestaltung Zürich also has a very digital character. The website eGuide.ch offers multimedia content and detailed information in image, text and video form on more than 200 objects from the "Collection Highlights" exhibition, as well as in the poster gallery and the Swiss Design Lounge. 360° views of a selection of items and more than ten tours render the online exploration of the collection a veritable experience. Thematic tours such as “Swiss International Style”, “100 years of Swiss Design” or “Our Oddest Birds” present design from different viewpoints. There are also special guided tours for children (in German) that offer an approach to the subject through play.