Kunsthaus Zürich
Two buildings on opposite sides of Heimplatz, linked underground, housing one of Switzerland's most important art collections — the 2021 David Chipperfield sandstone block alone added over 80% more floor space.
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The 1910 Karl Moser wing still has its original Neo-Grec Secession interiors intact. The new Chipperfield extension across the street, clad in sandstone, added 13,000 square meters. Between them: Giacometti, Monet's enormous water lily canvas, Munch, Picasso, and a strong Swiss thread running from Füssli and Hodler through to Pipilotti Rist.
What to look for
- Moser's preserved 1910 interiors, decorated in a Neo-Grec version of Secession style
- Monet's enormous water lily painting in the collection
- Oskar Kiefer's bas-reliefs on the facade of the original building
A basement passage under the street connects the old and new buildings — follow the signs at Heimplatz to cross between them without going outside.
Kunsthaus Zürich is one of 17 sights worth the detour in Zurich, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Zurich pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Zurich
- LetzigrundOn this track, on 21 June 1960, Armin Hary became the first person in history to run 100 metres in 10.0 seconds.
- Zürich HauptbahnhofSwitzerland's largest station runs 2,915 trains a day — and a river flows through it in a tunnel, with tracks both above and below.
- GrossmünsterThe church where Zwingli launched the Swiss-German Reformation in 1520 — and then his followers stripped out the organ and every statue to prove the point.
- Zürich Opera HouseThe first electrically lit opera house in Europe — built in 16 months, nearly razed by street riots, and winner of Opera Company of the Year at the 2014 International Opera Awards.
- Cabaret VoltaireHugo Ball borrowed a back room on Spiegelgasse in February 1916 and accidentally invented Dada — Lenin was renting a flat fourteen doors up the same street.
- Swiss National Museum (Landesmuseum)A French Renaissance chateau with dozens of towers sits on a river peninsula two minutes from the main train station — and it covers all of Swiss history from the Stone Age forward.