Arts Сenter (Kunsthalle) & Swiss Architecture Museum, Basel

The Arts Сenter (Kunsthalle), a historical yet dynamic contemporary art gallery, stands as Switzerland’s oldest institution dedicated to contemporary art. Founded in 1872, it continues to play an essential role in Basel's cultural scene, situated in a prime location adjacent to the city's theatre and facing the concert venue Stadtcasino. Its establishment stemmed from the 1864 merger of the Basel Society of Artists and the Basler Kunstverein Basel Art Association, founded in 1839. The building was designed by Johann Jakob Stehlin-Burckhardt, with artistic contributions from Arnold Böcklin, Karl Brünner, Ernst Stückelberg, and Charles Iguel, creating an architectural gem enriched by history.

Originally housing part of Basel’s public art collections in the 1920s and 1930s, the Arts Сenter was pivotal in showcasing European and American modernism. In 1949, under Lucas Lichtenhahn, it featured the “Impressionist Exhibition,” bringing Monet’s "Water Lilies" outside France for the first time. The 1958 exhibition “The New American Painting” held in collaboration with New York's Museum of Modern Art, was another milestone, marking the first European display of works by American expressionist icons like Rothko and Pollock.

Today, the Arts Сenter hosts a library of the Basel Art Association, holding 30,000 contemporary art publications, alongside a rich photo archive. The gallery’s construction, funded partly by Rhine ferry revenues, initially included an artist's clubhouse, which is now the Arts Сenter Restaurant, and by 1927, the addition of spaces like a sculptors’ workshop and the sculpture hall, now Stadtkino Basel.

The Swiss Architecture Museum (SAM) joined the Arts Сenter in 2004 during major renovations by architects Miller & Maranta, occupying the first floor and further enhancing the institution’s influence within art and architectural circles. These renovations were part of an ongoing effort to preserve the building’s historical essence while updating it for contemporary relevance, cementing Arts Сenter’s status as a vibrant center for both art and architecture in Switzerland.