Dates & facts
9 April 1991
Opening of KunstHausWien. Museum Hundertwasser after a reconstruction period of two years. The building was originally constructed in 1892 for Gebrüder Thonet.
1 October 2007
100 per cent take-over of KunstHausWien by Wien Holding and integration into the cultural cluster of Wien Holding, which also includes Vereinigte Bühnen Wien (with Theater an der Wien, Raimund Theater and Ronacher), Wiener Stadthalle, Mozarthaus Vienna, Haus der Musik and the Jewish Museum Vienna. All companies of this cultural cluster attract a total of 3.5 million visitors each year.
2007–2014 business management: Dr. Franz Patay
2014–2022 business management: Mag.ª Bettina Leidl
since 2022 business management: Mag.ª Gerlinde Riedl, MA
2015
Repositioning as an “ecological museum” and opening of additional exhibition areas
Since 1991
90 temporary exhibitions of renowned international artists some of which have made history in terms of photography, including Cecil Beaton, René Burri, David LaChapelle, Annie Leibovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, Man Ray, Herb Ritts, Henri Cartier-Bresson. Recently there has been a focus on contemporary photographers such as Rinko Kawauchi, Joel Meyerowitz, Peter Piller, Anita Witek, Edson Chagas, Martin Parr and Nasan Tur.
3.5 million visitors
Awards
2011
Austrian Museum Award 2011 of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture. The prize was awarded for the preservation of the original state of the building and the overall ensemble as created by Friedensreich Hundertwasser.
2015 / 2016
EcoBusinessPlan Award of the City of Vienna
2018
Awarded with the Austrian Eco-Label
2023/2024
Hydrothermal renovation of KunstHausWien - Groundwater for Hundertwasser
Out of respect for Hundertwasser's unique architecture, the KunstHausWien underwent an urgently needed renovation in 2023/24. At the heart of the work was the introduction of hydrothermal energy, i.e. the use of groundwater heat to generate energy, and thus the extensive phasing out of CO2-producing energy sources and the 100% elimination of gas. The switch to sustainable hydrothermal energy has resulted in a 75% reduction in energy consumption compared to the original air-conditioned area.
Beyond the actual energy savings, the symbolic power of the measures is significant within the cultural organisation, within Wien Holding, of which the museum is a part, and far beyond. KunstHausWien - a building that was founded as a model for the interaction of art, people and nature - has brought its vision into the present and positioned itself as a pioneer for a future-oriented energy supply.
Funded by the Climate and Energy Fund 'Climate-friendly cultural institutions'
KunstHausWien is an enterprise of Wien Holding and is supported by the Department for Cultural Affairs of the City of Vienna (MA 7).
