Bregenz Art Museum

“For me the spaces of the Kunsthaus are extraordinary because they are so absolute, so simple, where the relationship of light to space, to silence is very specific. And I think of this as another test site; it’s a test site for our existence in this frame of architecture.” -Antony Gormley

On a beautiful Sunday, if one is looking for an affordable short field trip while staying in Zurich, I highly recommend visiting Bregenz, Austria to see the Bregenz Art Museum designed by this year’s Pritzker Prize winner Peter Zumthor. The museum is a few blocks away from the train station along the Bodensee Lake.

Mr. Zumthor’s beautiful simplistic aesthetic is celebrated here at the museum. While many artists have celebrated their pieces within the structure, no doubt they also have appreciated Mr. Zumthor’s sensitive approach to enveloping art pieces throughout his space of subtle details and his precise and noticeable Swiss bricolage approach. The museum, in ever mysterious grey and translucent, was constructed using organic materials and methods. As the scale does not overwhelm, the museum converses harmoniously with the neighboring buildings and picturesque landscape, while staying contemporary. I can endlessly compliment the design, but I’m sure, again, one would simply agree without any influence.

The lakefront is another reason to step out of Zurich for few hours. Stroll along the lake and listen to multiple layers of different languages being exchanged allows one to blend in as a global citizen. After being impressed with the design and the art inside the museum, one can then enjoy simple pleasures, such as ice cream, coffee, and people watching.

Enclosed are my slides taken from my recent visit to the museum. I was able to enjoy and learn not only from the museum design details, but also the installations of Antony Gormley’s recent work.