In June 2022, the outstanding attractions on offer in Vienna, the City of Art, were augmented by an exceptional addition to the museum scene. Located in the heart of Vienna, the Heidi Horten Collection boasts one of the most impressive private portfolios in Europe. To accommodate it, the Stöcklgebäude, a city center palace located between the Vienna State Opera, Albertina, and Burggarten, was lavishly renovated and transformed into a modern museum temple.

The Austrian billionaire and patron of the arts Heidi Goëss-Horten (1941-2022) amassed a collection of several hundred works from the early 1990s onwards. It is a representative cross-section of art history from classical Modernism to the present day. The collection focuses on numerous proponents of Modernism, Neo-Expressionism, and Pop Art: Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Gerhard Richter, Georg Baselitz, and many others. A concentrated best-of of international art history.

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Three main floors and four smaller display rooms spread over almost 1,500 m² of exhibition space are lined with artworks from the Heidi Horten Collection. The permanent Klimt ⮂ Warhol exhibition was installed on the ground floor in fall 2024, which presents 55 highlights from the extensive collection. The unique feature of the exhibition is that the 20th and 21st century artworks on display were selected by the public, with visitors being able to vote for their favorite works in advance. As the name suggests, the permanent exhibition includes works by Gustav Klimt and Andy Warhol. Other artists represented in the exhibition include Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Edvard Munch, Egon Schiele, Paul Klee, Georg Baselitz, Gerhard Richter, Mark Rothko, Roy Lichtenstein and many more. The layout of the exhibition is reminiscent of living rooms. It pays homage to the museum’s founder, Goëss-Horten, who surrounded herself with art in her own home.

The museum also presents the various facets of the collection in the form of temporary special exhibitions. Contemporary artists are also regularly featured. There are also special activities for children and young people.

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Modern museum in historical walls

Goëss-Horten was inspired to found the museum by the resounding success of the “Wow!” exhibition in 2018. Back then, her collection was on display at the Leopold Museum. Heidi Goëss-Horten’s search for a suitable venue for a permanent exhibition led her to the historic Hanuschhof. The Gründerzeit building is a place with a varied history: The complex of buildings was built in 1862/1863 as an annex to the palace of Archduke Albrecht (the present-day Albertina). It housed a riding school in the courtyard, and from 1914 a chancellery building for Archduke Friedrich. After that, the building was used by several art and cultural institutions, most recently by the Vienna State Opera Museum.

The "metamorphosis" into a modern art temple began in summer 2020. This involved completely gutting the inside of the building and then creating a basement level. The entire façade, which was retained in the historical style, was painstakingly renovated. Special highlights of the Heidi Horten Collection: Staggered, seemingly floating exhibition levels with a self-supporting stainless steel staircase, the connected terrace, a tea room, and a freely accessible museum forecourt with sculpture garden.The result is a true museum island embedded in a classic Viennese Gründerzeit complex.

TIP: ivie's audio walk 

Discover the Ringstrasse with ivie: The digital city guide knows both the top sights and the hidden highlights of Vienna's magnificent boulevard. At numerous locations like the Heidi Horten Collection, an existing audio chapter awaits you.