Information
Landmark: Museum of Applied ArtsCity: Vienna
Country: Austria
Continent: Europe
Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna, Austria, Europe
Overview
In Vienna, the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts (Museum für angewandte Kunst) stands out as one of the city’s cultural landmarks, housing everything from intricate Art Nouveau glassware to bold contemporary design and masterful decorative arts.Since 1863, the museum has celebrated where art meets design, showcasing everything from ornate 19th‑century silver teapots to sleek, modern chairs that blend beauty with everyday use.Founded in 1863 as the Imperial Royal Austrian Museum of Art and Industry, the MAK set out to champion applied arts in Austria, from fine textiles to gleaming metalwork.This was part of a wider push to raise the bar in industrial design and craftsmanship, focusing on teaching artisans and designers-hands steady over wood, metal, and clay-to hone their skills.In its early days, the museum was closely tied to the Austrian Arts and Crafts Movement, sharing its drive to raise applied arts to the level of fine art-think of a hand-carved chair treated with the care given to a painting.Over the years, the MAK has widened its mission, embracing everything from centuries-old decorative arts to sleek, modern pieces that blur the lines between art, design, and technology.Today, it’s still a top destination for design innovation, spotlighting fine craftsmanship, sustainable methods, and bold, forward-thinking techniques you can see in every detail, down to the curve of a chair leg.The MAK’s building blends old-world charm with sleek, modern lines, standing as a clear testament to both.Right on the edge of Vienna’s Stadtpark, the museum sits in a stately 19th‑century building designed by Heinrich von Ferstel, the architect who also created the soaring Votive Church and the grand Austrian National Bank.The museum’s grand neoclassical façade, with its towering columns and deep-shadowed portico, radiates a quiet sense of historical prestige.Inside, the museum saw major makeovers in the 1980s and 1990s, adding fresh spaces and bright lights to suit modern exhibitions.A major recent change was the addition of a new exhibition wing, designed by renowned architect Laurids Ortner, blending seamlessly with the museum’s classic façade while introducing sleek, minimalist lines of glass and steel.Inside, the museum dazzles with vast galleries, airy halls, and inventive exhibition spaces where everything from centuries-old artifacts to one-week pop-ups can be shown with ease.The MAK’s collection is split into several main sections, holding everything from gilded medieval manuscripts to sleek, modern designs.Among its treasures in historic applied arts, the museum showcases finely crafted furniture, gleaming ceramics, delicate glass, polished silver, and rich textiles from eras like the Renaissance, Baroque, and Art Nouveau.It also holds an exceptional collection from the Wiener Werkstätte-a vibrant early 20th-century circle of artists and designers known for creating distinctive, impeccably made furniture, textiles, and decorative pieces.Koloman Moser, Josef Hoffmann, and Otto Wagner helped lead the movement to weave art into everyday life, from a teacup’s curve to the pattern on a chair.Today, the MAK carries that spirit forward, celebrated for its focus on contemporary design and its ever-changing exhibitions of bold, inventive work from around the world.These exhibitions showcase bold, innovative work in industrial design, graphic design, and architecture, exploring how design connects with emerging technologies.The museum also gathers and displays experimental pieces and conceptual art that push against old ideas of function and beauty.True to its roots, the MAK celebrates craftsmanship-spotlighting handwoven textiles, hammered metal, and the glow of handblown glass.These objects blend art with function, admired for both their beauty and the skill behind them.In one gallery, you’ll find furniture and interior pieces spanning centuries-from carved Renaissance chairs to sleek Bauhaus tables and right up to modern designs.These works trace the shift in design principles, materials, and techniques, showing that a chair or a doorway can serve its purpose and still catch the eye.The MAK holds an impressive trove of architectural models and drawings, especially those highlighting Vienna’s distinctive style.The museum showcases architectural works by luminaries such as Otto Wagner, Adolf Loos, and Friedensreich Hundertwasser-designs that helped shape Vienna’s skyline, from sleek façades to whimsical curves.The MAK keeps things fresh with a lively mix of permanent displays and rotating exhibitions.Over the years, the museum has hosted standout exhibitions on everything from cutting-edge design trends-featuring visionary designers, bold manufacturers, and movements reshaping modern furniture-to the celebrated Wiener Werkstätte, where visitors could study the rich textures and patterns of this Austrian collective’s applied arts.Textile art displays revealed the skill behind intricate weaves and fashion design, while craftsmanship shows honored both age-old and contemporary handwork, proving its value even in our mass-produced world.In the MAK Library and Archives, one of Europe’s finest collections, shelves brimming with thousands of volumes invite exploration of design, architecture, and the applied arts.The library is a hub for design scholars, where they can leaf through rare books, pore over old periodicals, and study exhibition catalogs that smell faintly of dust and ink.The MAK Archives capture the museum’s history and trace the growth of Austrian applied arts, holding everything from pencil-smudged design sketches to letters and records from renowned designers and architects.The MAK runs a variety of educational programs for kids and adults alike, from lively hands‑on workshops to engaging lectures and guided tours that might lead you past the scent of freshly polished wood in the galleries.The museum’s Design Lab draws visitors in, letting them sketch ideas, test materials, and dive into hands-on design workshops.The MAK Design Shop features one-of-a-kind pieces drawn from the museum’s own collections, from sleek glass vases to bold graphic prints, making it a must-visit for design lovers after high-quality, contemporary finds.In conclusion, Vienna’s MAK – Museum of Applied Arts stands as a lively hub, devoted to celebrating design, fine craftsmanship, and the applied arts, from sleek modern chairs to centuries-old tapestries.The collection spans centuries, from worn leather-bound volumes to sleek modern pieces, revealing how design has evolved and why it matters.Blending striking architecture, huge collections, and bold, inventive exhibitions, the MAK is a must-visit for anyone drawn to where art, design, and daily life meet-like a chair that’s as beautiful as it is practical.
