Kunstmuseum Basel

Hauptbau

The Kunstmuseum Basel’s Hauptbau was completed in 1936 based on plans by the architect Rudolf Christ (Basel) and his colleague Paul Bonatz (Stuttgart), two representatives of a conservative modernism. It was originally conceived solely for the presentation of the museum’s collections, and since the spring of 2016, when the new building with its skylighted galleries specifically designed for special exhibitions opened, the main building is once again entirely dedicated to its original purpose.

Neubau

In April 2016, the museum inaugurated a third venue across the street from the Hauptbau, to which it is connected by an underground passage: the Neubau by the local architects Christ & Gantenbein. It is designed to accommodate both special exhibitions and presentations of art from the collections. Construction of the new building was made possible by a public-private partnership: Dr. h. c. Maja Oeri donated the funds that enabled the Canton of Basel-Stadt to purchase the building plot, and the Laurenz Foundation contributed CHF 50 million toward the building costs of altogether ca. CHF 100 million.

Gegenwart

The first enlargement came in 1980 with the inauguration of the “Museum für Gegenwartskunst” on St. Alban-Rheinweg. Now known as Kunstmuseum Basel | Gegenwart, it was one of the first museums dedicated to contemporary art in the world. It was created in a joint effort by the Emanuel Hoffmann Foundation, the Christoph Merian Foundation, and the Canton of Basel-Stadt. Construction was made possible by a generous donation from Maja Sacher-Stehlin, who established the Emanuel Hoffmann Foundation, as well as her family and the Emanuel Hoffmann Foundation. The Christoph Merian Foundation provided the building, erected on land owned by the Canton of Basel-Stadt.