Museum of Applied Arts | Vienna

The MAK – Museum of Applied Arts (Museum für angewandte Kunst) is a premier institution for design, decorative arts, and contemporary architecture. It is located at Stubenring 5 in Vienna's First District.

Visual Characteristics

The building is a monumental Neo-Renaissance structure designed by Heinrich von Ferstel. The exterior is characterized by red brickwork and terracotta ornamentation. Internally, the museum is defined by a massive two-story central hall with glass roofing and arcaded galleries. The permanent collection rooms were redesigned in the 1990s by contemporary artists (e.g., Barbara Bloom, Donald Judd) to create site-specific installations rather than traditional museum displays.

Location & Access Logistics

Address: Stubenring 5, 1010 Wien, Austria.

Public Transport: U-Bahn line U3 or Landstraße/Wien Mitte hub (U4, S-Bahn). Tram line 2 (Stop: Stubentor).

Hours: Tuesday 10:00–21:00; Wednesday–Sunday 10:00–18:00. Closed on Mondays.

Access: Fully wheelchair accessible. Admission is discounted on Tuesday evenings.

Historical Origin

Founded in 1863 as the Imperial Royal Austrian Museum of Art and Industry, it was modeled after the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A) in London. The current building was completed in 1871. It was the first museum building on the Ringstraße. Historically, it served as a training ground for craftsmen and designers to improve the quality of Austrian industrial products.

Key Highlights & Collections

Vienna 1900: A comprehensive collection of Wiener Werkstätte designs, featuring works by Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser, and Gustav Klimt (including the original cartoons for the Stoclet Frieze).

Thonet Furniture: A definitive collection of bentwood furniture.

Carpets: One of the world's most significant collections of 16th and 17th-century Safavid and Ottoman carpets.

Design Lab: An interactive space focusing on the intersection of design and social/ecological issues.

Asia Collection: Significant holdings of Chinese porcelain and Japanese lacquerware.

Infrastructure & Amenities

MAK Design Shop: A high-end boutique for contemporary Austrian design and books.

MAK Restaurant (Salon Plafond): A modern restaurant featuring traditional elements and a courtyard garden.

Geymüllerschlössel: A branch of the MAK located in Pötzleinsdorf, showcasing Biedermeier furniture (open seasonally).

Best Time to Visit

Tuesday Evenings: The museum is open until 21:00 with reduced entry fees, attracting a younger, design-focused crowd.

Photography: The central hall offers optimal light for architectural photography.

Nearby Landmarks

Stadtpark: 0.1 km South (Home of the Johann Strauss monument).

Postsparkasse (Postal Savings Bank): 0.2 km North (Otto Wagner masterpiece).

Wien Mitte: 0.3 km East.

Stubentor: 0.1 km West (Remnants of the medieval city gate).