Kunstmuseum Luzern, Art museum in Lucerne, Switzerland

The Kunstmuseum Luzern occupies the fourth floor of the KKL Luzern, the culture and congress centre built on the site of the demolished Meili-Bau and opened in 2001. Jean Nouvel designed its exhibition rooms with flexible dimensions and daylight from above, and they open onto views of Lake Lucerne and the adjoining Bahnhofplatz.

The museum was founded in 1932 and operated from its original location for decades before changing its home. Its move to the current building in 2001 marked a turning point, as the new space allowed for more flexible exhibition possibilities and better visitor amenities.

The Kunstgesellschaft Luzern, founded in 1819, has run the museum since 1932 and still owns it. The collection is conceived as a "cultural archive of Central Switzerland" and is shown in a new thematic hang each year rather than permanently. Since 1982 the museum has represented Lucerne and its canton at the Manor Cultural Prize, awarded every two years.

The museum sits just one minute from Lucerne railway station, making it highly accessible on foot from the city center or transport hub. Plan to explore the current exhibition before your visit, as the offerings change several times throughout the year.

The exhibition rooms Jean Nouvel designed inside the KKL are flexible in size and lit from above by daylight, and they open onto views of Lake Lucerne and the adjacent Bahnhofplatz. The museum has occupied the fourth floor since 2001, after the Meili building of 1933 was demolished in 1991.