Description of the attraction
The House of Arts - an art museum was built in 2003 as part of the "European Capital of Culture" and has since become an architectural monument in Graz. The project of the museum building was created by British architect Peter Cook in collaboration with Colin Fournier. The museum specializes in contemporary art from the past four decades.
The unusual shape of the building is fundamentally different from the surrounding houses. The team of architects used innovative ideas to build the museum. The building frame is made of reinforced concrete and the facade is made of blue plastic panels. A media installation was made on the facade, which consists of luminous elements, programmed by a computer. The luminous elements are more than 900 fluorescent rings spread over an area of 900 square meters. By day, the modern facade reflects the clock tower of Schlossberg Castle, which is located on the other side of the river. In the evening, the installation is used as an electronic poster informing about upcoming events and exhibitions. The museum does not have a permanent exhibition. Architecture, design, film and photography all exist under the same roof. The idea of the museum is to organize various multidisciplinary exhibitions. The House of Arts implements an innovative concept that provides ample opportunities for both the public and the curators of specialized exhibitions.
There is a bookstore at the museum, where a large selection of literature on contemporary art, design, graphics, photography and world architecture is presented. The store cooperates with several art and architecture universities, therefore it has rare books and scarce publications in its assortment.
