Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein's museum of modern and contemporary art, in a black basalt cube on the Staedtle.
Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein opened in November 2000 on the Städtle, the pedestrian street through central Vaduz. Morger & Degelo, working with Christian Kerez, gave it the form of a dark monolith: the walls are cast from concrete mixed with black basalt and coloured river gravel, then ground and polished so that the surface reflects the surrounding mountains and sky. Inside, the top-lit galleries are deliberately plain, with white walls and terrazzo floors arranged around a central staircase.
The museum holds the national art collection, which concentrates on modern and contemporary art from the nineteenth century onward, with particular strength in sculpture, object-based work and arte povera. Since 2015 the adjoining white cube designed by the same practice has housed the Hilti Art Foundation, whose classical modern and post-war holdings are shown in rotating selections. The programme alternates collection presentations with temporary exhibitions of international artists, and the building also contains a library, an auditorium and the kollabor space for younger visitors.
Highlights
- Polished black basalt concrete facade by Morger & Degelo and Christian Kerez
- National collection of modern and contemporary art
- Hilti Art Foundation galleries in the adjoining white cube
- Top-lit exhibition halls and central stair by the Staedtle entrance
