Villa Wesendonck, 19th-century villa in Rieterpark, Zürich, Switzerland

Villa Wesendonck is a villa built between 1853 and 1857 in Italian Renaissance style, considered one of architect Leonhard Zeugheer's maturest works, on the left shore of Lake Zürich in the Enge quarter. South of the house lies the landscape garden laid out by Leopold Karl Theodor Fröbel, today's Rieterpark. Since 2007 an underground extension named "Baldachine von Smaragd" adds two lower levels of about 1,600 square metres, more than the villa's roughly 800.

Architect Leonhard Zeugheer built this residence between 1853 and 1857 for merchant Otto Wesendonck and his wife Mathilde on the left shore of the lake. The building was later transformed into an art museum that has operated since 1952.

The villa has housed the Museum Rietberg since 1952, showing art from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania, plus a collection of Swiss masks. The 2007 underground extension, named "Baldachine von Smaragd", refers to a poem by Mathilde Wesendonck that Richard Wagner set as the third of his Wesendonck-Lieder.

The grounds are surrounded by manicured parkland that makes it easy to explore the building and its surroundings. It is worth allowing time to visit both the historic villa and the modern underground gallery areas.

The museum's underground extension, built 2004–2006 and opened in February 2007, is named "Baldachine von Smaragd" after a poem by Mathilde Wesendonck that Richard Wagner set as the third of his Wesendonck-Lieder. Designed by Adolf Krischanitz and Alfred Grazioli, it descends more than 12 metres over two levels and covers about 1,600 square metres, twice the villa's roughly 800.