Kolumba, Diocesan art museum in Altstadt-Nord, Cologne, Germany
Kolumba is a diocesan art museum in the Altstadt-Nord district of Cologne, housed in a structure by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. The perforated walls of light grey brick allow daylight to enter sixteen exhibition rooms spread across several floors.
The institution was founded in 1853 near Cologne Cathedral to collect ecclesiastical artworks from the region. After the church of Saint Columba was destroyed in World War II, the collection moved into the new building above the ruins, which opened in 2007.
The name traces back to the destroyed church of Saint Columba, whose remains are still visible beneath the ground floor. Visitors experience artworks spanning two millennia in a continuous display that places contemporary pieces alongside medieval objects.
The entrance is on Kolumbastraße 4, and the building opens Wednesday through Monday between noon and 5 p.m. (17:00). The site closes every year during the first two weeks of September.
On the lower level, walkways pass over exposed Roman foundations and medieval graves uncovered during postwar excavations. The 1950s chapel still stands as a separate room inside the new structure and serves as a space for quiet reflection.
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