Kunsthaus Zürich Partially Closed After Fire, Chipperfield Building Open
The Facts
A fire broke out on the evening of August 2, 2022, in the packing room of the Kunsthaus Zürich, forcing the partial closure of the museum. The fire was extinguished by the Zurich professional fire brigade, with no injuries and no artworks damaged. However, smoke affected public areas, offices, and storage rooms in the original building, which was constructed between 1910 and 1976. That section, housing part of the collection and the temporary exhibition 'Rudolf Koller. Die Skizzenbücher,' remains closed to the public. The Chipperfield building remains open, featuring the exhibition 'Fellini. Von der Zeichnung zum Film,' works of Impressionism, Dadaism, and contemporary art, as well as the Bührle, Merzbacher, and Looser private collections.
The Signal
The fire and subsequent cleanup will disrupt normal operations for several weeks, with the museum yet to announce a full reopening date. While the Chipperfield wing continues to offer access to major holdings, the closure of the historic wing removes a significant portion of the museum's display space and temporarily halts the Koller exhibition. For collectors and visitors, this underscores the vulnerability of institutional infrastructure and the importance of contingency planning in museum operations.
- Artists: Rudolf Koller, Federico Fellini
- People: Björn Quellenberg, Urs Eberle
- Museums: Kunsthaus Zürich
- Locations: Zürich
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