Silhouette of a chair exhibition in the MAK

Exhibiting Design

Design has a long tradition in Vienna. A number of Vienna’s museums offer an overview of design past and present.

When they cross the threshold of the attractive red-brick building on Vienna’s Ringstrasse, visitors enter a world of furniture, textiles, carpets, wood and metal designs, glass and ceramics. The MAK – Museum of Applied Arts/Contemporary Art is the first port of call for design collections in Vienna. Founded in 1863 as the Imperial Royal Austrian Museum of Art and Industry, the MAK’s permanent collection still brings together applied arts, design, architecture and contemporary art – bridging antiquity and the present day, from Asian art to the Wiener Werkstätte (established in 1903 by Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser). The MAK has the largest collection of items produced by Wiener Werkstätte in the world.

The new MAK Design Lab is also well worth a visit, presenting design around everyday themes such as cooking, eating and drinking, seating and decorating, as it has changed over time. One area displays exhibits from the archive of Helmut Lang, who was born in Austria and is one of the most influential fashion designers of the last 30 years.

Furniture and porcelain

Meanwhile, at the Hofmobiliendepot Imperial Furniture Collection furniture takes center stage, as the name suggests. The former imperial and royal furniture depot was entrusted with looking after the furnishings used in the various Habsburg households. With a focus on Biedermeier and Historicist styles, the museum provides a fascinating insight into interior design culture over the centuries, taking in everything from an imperial wheelchair to Empress Elisabeth’s bed chamber in the Hungarian town of Gödöllö to distinctive Thonet bentwood furniture.

The Augarten Porcelain Museum walks visitors through the history of porcelain making in Vienna from its inception right through to the present day. And at the Designforum in the MuseumsQuartier, the focus is on the creative industries and contemporary design, with regular exhibitions showcasing graphic design, multimedia work and product design.

MAK - Austrian Museum of Applied Arts/Contemporary Art

Stubenring 5 , 1010 Wien
www.mak.at

Prices
- Young people under 19 €0
- Your benefit with the Vienna City Card: 5% off , 3€ off
Opening times
- Tu, 10:00 - 22:00
- We - Su, 10:00 - 18:00
Accessibility
- Side entrance
  - no steps
    at the staff entrance Weiskirchnerstrasse
- Elevator available
- Further information
  - Seeing eye dogs allowed
  - Wheelchair accessible restroom available.
- Comments
  Elevator to the exhibition rooms.

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Hofmobiliendepot. Imperial Furniture Collection

Andreasgasse 7, 1070 Wien
www.hofmobiliendepot.at

Prices
- Adults €7,90
- Your benefit with the Vienna City Card: 2,90/3,50€ off
Opening times
- Tu - Su, 10:00 - 18:00
Accessibility
- Main entrance
  - no steps (Double swinging doors 180 cm wide )
- Elevator available
  - 90 cm wide and 160 cm low , Door 90 cm wide
- Further information
  - Seeing eye dogs allowed
  - Wheelchair accessible restroom available.
- Special offers for people with disabilities
  Seeing-eye dogs permitted. Guided group tours for wheelchair users on request.
- Comments
  All areas accessible via elevator. Elevator 3rd-5th floor.
  Lifting platform to the first floor: door width: 83 cm, cabin depth: 117 cm, cabin width: 75 cm. Access to the restaurant / café: no steps.

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Porcelain Museum in the Augarten

Obere Augartenstraße 1, 1020 Wien
www.augarten.com

Prices
- Adults €6
- Your benefit with the Vienna City Card: 2€ off
Opening times
- Mo - Sa, 10:00 - 18:00
Accessibility
- Main entrance
  - no steps (Double swinging doors )
- Elevator available
  - 150 cm wide and 180 cm low , Door 120 cm wide
- Further information
  - Seeing eye dogs allowed
  - Wheelchair accessible restroom available.