Atelierhaus Salzamt, Artist residence and gallery in city center, Linz, Austria.

Atelierhaus Salzamt is a three-storey baroque building on the southern bank of the Danube, built in 1706 as the imperial salt office and salt warehouse. Its cross-vaulted corridors, original stucco ceilings and wooden floors survive, and the walls rise on the former city wall to over two metres thick. The plan resembles a lowercase "h", with 1,400 m² of floor space and an enclosed arcaded courtyard.

A salt warehouse stood on this site from 1562, and a second was begun in 1567; the imperial Salzkammer and Stadel were rebuilt in 1619 but declared dilapidated by 1661. The present three-storey building was erected after the 1706 decision to rebuild both. In 1911 the Salzamt at Obere Donaulände 15 was structurally separated from the Stadel at No. 17, and in 2009 the city converted the house into studios and small flats.

The name Salzamt refers to the imperial salt authority that regulated the salt trade; the building took its name from that office. Since 2009 the house has held nine studios: four international residents receive a small apartment and studio free of charge for up to two months, plus a monthly stipend, while four further studios go to local artists. The ground floor holds a restaurant run by an external tenant, and in summer the enclosed courtyard with its arcade serves as a garden restaurant.

The building sits directly on the Danube in the city center and is easy to reach on foot. Check accessibility details for different floors before your visit, as not all levels may be fully accessible.

The building retains the name and function connection of its former life as a salt authority, keeping this history woven into its identity. This link between mercantile activity and artistic exchange sets this space apart from typical contemporary art centers.