Museum fur Gestaltung Zurich

The Museum für Gestaltung is Zürich's museum of design, visual communication and applied art, and it is one of the leading institutions of its kind in Europe. The German word Gestaltung means shaping or design, and the museum covers a wide field: posters and graphic design, product and industrial design, architecture, typography, packaging, textiles, ceramics and everyday objects. Switzerland has a special place in the history of design, because of the strong Swiss tradition in graphic design, with its clear typography, grids and neutral typefaces, which came to be known as the International Typographic Style and spread around the world in the twentieth century. The museum has been central to collecting and showing this heritage, and its collections include some of the finest examples of Swiss posters, which are among the most admired in design history.

The collections are large, with several hundred thousand objects, and they are divided into themed groups. The poster collection, which includes works from the late nineteenth century to the present, is considered one of the largest and most important in the world. The collection of graphic design and visual communication covers books, magazines, logos and advertising, while the design collection holds furniture, lamps, tableware, toys, appliances and tools. There is also a large collection of applied art and craft, with ceramics, glass and textiles, and a collection of material from the history of Swiss design education. The museum was founded in connection with the school of arts and crafts in Zürich, which gave it a link with teaching and practice from the beginning.

The museum is spread over several sites. The original building on Ausstellungsstrasse, near the main railway station, is a modernist block from the 1930s, a notable work of the New Objectivity style, with a bright hall and large windows, and it was designed to house the school and the museum together. A second site is in the Toni-Areal, a large former dairy factory that now houses the Zürich University of the Arts, where the museum has a Schaudepot, an exhibition depot in which a selection of the collection is shown on shelves and in cases, so that visitors can see how objects are stored and browse them in an informal way. A third site is the Pavillon Le Corbusier, a colourful steel and glass building on the shore of the lake at the Zürichhorn, designed by the French-Swiss architect Le Corbusier, and which is his last building. It is run by the museum as a place for exhibitions about design and architecture, and it is a rare chance to see inside one of his late works.

Temporary exhibitions are a major part of the programme, with shows on subjects such as the history of posters, design in daily life, architecture and the future of materials. The museum also publishes books and hosts talks and workshops. Opening times, ticket prices and the availability of each site vary, and some parts may be closed for renovation, so check the website before you go. Visitor cards such as the Zürich Card may offer free or reduced admission, and there are discounts for students and children.

The museum suits designers, students and curious visitors, and the exhibitions are often engaging for those with no background. Allow one to two hours per site. The Toni-Areal is reached by tram from the main station, and the pavilion by tram to the lake.