Kunsthaus Graz / Peter Cook And Colin Fournier

Architects: Peter Cook, Colin Fournier
Year: 2003
Photographs: Peter Cook and Colin Fournier, Bandit Art, Niki Lackner / Courtesy of Kunsthaus Graz, Kunsthaus Graz / M. Grabner, Universalmuseum Joanneum / N. Lackner, Marek Ślusarczyk, Ralf Roletschek, Isiwal, Marion Schneider & Christoph Aistleitner, Marc st, Peter Christian Riemann, Thomas Ledl, Stephan Weinberger, Georg Mittenecker, Matthias Eichinger, Cook Robotham Architectural Bureau
Type: Museum
City: Graz
Country: Austria

Kunsthaus Graz, designed by Peter Cook and Colin Fournier and completed in 2003 for the European Cultural Capital celebrations, is a striking contemporary art museum in Graz, Austria. Its biomorphic form contrasts with the baroque surroundings of the Murvorstadt district while integrating the historic 1847 Iron House. The museum specializes in contemporary art from the 1960s onwards, with flexible 11,100 square meters of exhibition space but no permanent collections. An iconic feature is the BIX media façade, created by realities:united, which uses 930 fluorescent rings to project text and images, transforming the building into an interactive urban screen. Internally, the “black box” design enables versatile curatorial spaces, establishing Kunsthaus Graz as a symbol of futuristic Austrian architecture.

Kunsthaus graz / peter cook and colin fournier | classics on architecture lab

Affectionately dubbed “The Friendly Alien” by its designers Peter Cook and Colin Fournier, Kunsthaus Graz, also known as Graz Art Museum (Grazer Kunsthaus), was built as part of the European Cultural Capital celebrations in 2003. Since its completion, the building has become a significant architectural landmark in Graz, Austria, and an essential part of the city’s urban identity. The biomorphic structure boldly contrasts with the baroque roofscape of Graz’s historic Murvorstadt district, known for its red clay roofing tiles. Yet, despite this striking contrast, the building successfully integrates the façade of the 1847 Iron House, blending the old with the avant-garde.

The Kunsthaus was conceived as a multidisciplinary venue for contemporary art, specializing in works from the 1960s onward, with a particular focus on architecture, new media, internet art, film, and photography. Its purpose is purely to present and procure contemporary art productions—there are no permanent collections or research institutions housed within it. Instead, the museum’s mission is to offer innovative spaces for curators to stage international exhibitions that meet the highest standards in contemporary art. Inside, the building contains 11,100 square meters of usable space, including exhibition galleries, depots, workshops, and a generous delivery area. It is equipped with advanced lighting and security systems, along with a cost-effective air-conditioning system that meets the demands of international art loans.

The form of the building is an example of “blob architecture,” consciously standing out from the conventional exhibition spaces of the modernist “white cube.” This design introduces a new stylistic idiom into the historic setting of the city. Despite its unconventional shape and materiality, Kunsthaus Graz has been well received, establishing itself not only as a cultural venue but also as a symbol of Graz’s future-focused architectural landscape.

One of the most striking features of the Kunsthaus is its outer BIX media façade, designed by the Berlin-based firm realities. This fusion of architecture and media technology turns the eastern side of the acrylic glass building into an enormous urban screen that interacts with the surrounding cityscape. The name BIX is derived from the words “big” and “pixels,” with the façade composed of 930 fluorescent rings, each functioning as a pixel. These rings, embedded in the 900 square meter outer skin, can be illuminated to varying degrees, controlled by a central computer to display text, images, or film sequences. The façade serves as an ever-changing platform for artistic productions and projects, allowing the building itself to become an instrument for art communication. This “communicating outer skin” offers a unique form of public interaction, shaping the dialogue between media, space, and the urban environment.

Internally, the building is designed as a “black box” to inspire curators with its flexible and hidden technical capabilities. The multi-purpose venue hosts exhibitions, events, and other contemporary art presentations, continuously transforming to accommodate new media and artistic expressions. Kunsthaus Graz not only provides a space for art but also becomes a contemporary piece of Austrian art itself, bridging the past and future of architectural design.