Revamp and expansion of the Rietberg Museum

Rietberg Museum is the only Swiss institution exhibiting exclusively non-European art. In terms of size and the number of artistic exhibits, the museum ranks third in Switzerland. The complex is located on a hill on the northern shore of Lake Zurich in the seven-hectare Rieter Park, within reach of the historical center. The park features several buildings such as the Schönberg Villa, the Rieter Villa, the Remise (storage), and the Wesendock Villa, which was significantly expanded in 2006 according to the winning design by the Viennese architect Adolf Krischanitz. In the vicinity of the majestic neoclassical Wesendock Villa, a small glass pavilion was created, which serves as the entrance to the two-story underground exhibition. Not only the front wall of the entrance pavilion is made of glass, but also the load-bearing columns, beams, and roof panels. The façade is printed with a delicate ornament whose motif is derived from the crystalline grid of emerald. The front reflects the opposite historical building. The green coloring, in contrast, helps the pavilion blend in with the surrounding park.
The Wesendock Villa was originally designed by Leonhard Zeugheer in the mid-19th century for the German industrialist Otto Wesendock, who was a generous supporter of Richard Wagner and a passionate art collector. Theodor Froebel was responsible for the park’s landscaping. In 1940, the city purchased the villa, and in a referendum held nine years later, it was decided that a vast collection from Baron Eduard von der Heydt, donated to the city in 1945, would be housed there. From 1951-52, the villa underwent renovation to convert it into a museum according to the design of Alfred Gradmann. In 1976, the city acquired the adjacent Schönberg Villa and added it to the museum as a library.
Krischanitz's emerald shelter stands on the site of former agricultural buildings. The author also responds to the relationship between Mathilde Wesendock and Richard Wagner, who was a frequent guest at the villa. After passing through a glass hallway measuring 3.4 x 10.2 meters, visitors find themselves in a hall with a slate tile floor and an onyx ceiling filtering natural light. Dominating the back part of the foyer is a wall-mounted concrete sculpture adorned with gold leaf by Helmuth Federle. Subsequently, visitors immerse themselves in the underground halls, where they can admire art collections from Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Australia over an area of more than 1300 m².