05 The Kunstgebäude

The Kunstgebäude is one of Stuttgart’s best-known cultural landmarks. Its dome is visible for miles around. Its history as a home for modern art goes back over a hundred years. The building was completed in 1913, to a design by Theodor Fischer. The external arcade, once described as “the most beautiful arched loggia north of the Alps”, plays on Renaissance motifs. The twenty-six-metre high dome itself has neoclassical features, while the original interior design was based on aspects of the Art Nouveau movement. 

The iconic stag at the pinnacle of the dome references the building that once stood on this spot, the »Neues Lusthaus« or New Pavilion, a hunting lodge where the Dukes of Wurttemberg entertained their guests.

The Kunstgebäude was originally planned as a gallery for the Wurttemberg Arts Society and Stuttgart Artists’ Association. From the very beginning, it had a close affinity with contemporary art. In 1913, the gallery’s inaugural »Great Stuttgart Exhibition« featured not only traditional figurative painting, but also a few works with Impressionist and early Expressionist elements. 

Just over a decade later, in 1924, the groundbreaking exhibition »New German Art« went much further, presenting the public with a selection of radically modern works. The director of the Staatsgalerie at the time, Otto Fischer, curated the exhibition as a display of the most important contemporary developments in German art, with works by artists like Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Emil Nolde, Max Beckmann, Oskar Kokoschka and Ernst Barlach. So the Staatsgalerie has been a guest of the Kunstgebäude before, more than one hundred years ago.

The Kunstgebäude was badly damaged in the Second World War, although the dome was saved. Rebuilt in the 1950s, it was at the heart of Stuttgart’s cultural life for many decades. Over the last few years, it has undergone a complete renovation, and has been lovingly restored to its former glory. It is now a vibrant and lively centre for the arts, available for events and exhibitions to Stuttgart’s many clubs and organisations. 

The next stop is Room 114, where we will see a number of wall-mounted works by Katharina Grosse dating from 2021. 

The Kunstgebäude is one of Stuttgart's most famous cultural landmarks. You can see its dome from miles around. It has been a home for modern art for over a hundred years. It was designed by Theodor Fischer and finished in 1913. The architect combined different styles to create a building that looks back to earlier periods. The outside arcade, which was once called "the most beautiful arched loggia north of the Alps", is inspired by the Renaissance. The dome is twenty-six metres high and has neoclassical features, while the interior was originally designed in the Art Nouveau style. 

The iconic stag at the top of the dome refers to the building that once stood on this spot, the »Neue Lusthaus« or New Pavilion, a hunting lodge where the Dukes of Wurttemberg entertained their guests. The New Pavilion was destroyed in a fire in 1903. 

The Kunstgebäude was originally planned as a gallery for the Württemberg Arts Society and the Stuttgart Artists' Association. From the very beginning, it had a close affinity with contemporary art. In 1913, the gallery's first exhibition featured not only traditional paintings, but also a few works with Impressionist and early Expressionist elements. 

Just over a decade later, in 1924, the groundbreaking exhibition »New German Art« went much further, presenting the public with a selection of radically modern works. The director of the Staatsgalerie at the time, Otto Fischer, chose the works for the exhibition to show the most important developments in German art at that time. These included works by artists like Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Emil Nolde, Max Beckmann, Oskar Kokoschka and Ernst Barlach. So the Staatsgalerie was already a guest of the Kunstgebäude more than a hundred years ago.

The Kunstgebäude was badly damaged in the Second World War, but the dome was saved. It was rebuilt in the 1950s and was at the heart of Stuttgart's cultural life for many decades. It has been renovated recently and looks as good as new. It is now a popular and lively place for the arts, where many clubs and organisations in Stuttgart hold events and exhibitions. 

Next, we will see some wall art by Katharina Grosse in Room 114.