Explore five exceptional design museums where the architecture rivals the masterpieces within
Museums have been around for centuries and are dedicated to collecting and preserving objects and artefacts that hold cultural, historical, scientific, or artistic significance. Museums dedicated to design, however, only began to emerge in the 20th century, reflecting the growing recognition of design as a distinct and influential aspect of culture.
To enrich your design knowledge, we’ve chosen five extraordinary museums housed within modernist masterpieces. Whether it's Tokyo’s 21_21 Design Sight, where the structure itself is an artistic marvel by Tadao Ando or Berlin’s Bauhaus Archiv, which is a living homage to the iconic design movement, embark on a design odyssey, where each museum is not just a repository of creativity but an awe-inspiring work of art in its own right.
Read more: Understanding the design concepts behind these 4 famous NYC museums
1. Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany
Located in Weil am Rhein, Germany, the Vitra Design Museum was designed by Frank Gehry and features the renowned architect’s signature dynamic interplay of curves and unconventional shapes.
Completed in 1989, its unconventional form and use of materials make it a striking presence amid the serene landscape. With sloping curves, finished in white plaster, and a zinc alloy plated roof referencing a nearby factory building by Nicholas Grimshaw, the museum was Gehry’s first realised building in Europe.