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Museum für Gestaltung Zürich Toni-Areal

About

The Museum für Gestaltung at Toni‑Areal is Zürich’s boldest platform for contemporary design, housed in a converted 1970s dairy complex that now forms part of the Zurich University of the Arts. Its industrial architecture — concrete, steel, and vast open floors — provides an ideal backdrop for exhibitions that explore how design shapes modern life. Unlike the historic Ausstellungsstrasse building, Toni‑Areal focuses on experimentation, new media, and the future of visual culture. Inside, visitors encounter rotating exhibitions that span product design, digital innovation, fashion, photography, and social design. The museum’s internationally renowned poster, graphics, and design collections are frequently showcased here, often paired with interactive installations that reveal how designers think and work. Workshops and open studios allow guests to see prototypes, materials, and creative processes up close, making the museum feel more like a living laboratory than a traditional gallery. A highlight is the study collection, where thousands of objects — from iconic chairs to everyday tools — illustrate the evolution of Swiss and global design. With its energetic atmosphere and focus on contemporary creativity, the Toni‑Areal site offers a dynamic complement to the museum’s historic main building.

Zürich Switzerland
Museum für Gestaltung Zürich Toni-Areal
Location

Museum für Gestaltung Zürich at Toni-Areal is located in Zürich-West, on Pfingstweidstrasse 96, in the campus area of the Zurich University of the Arts. It is the museum’s second Zürich location and sits in one of the city’s most modern and creative districts. The museum is an excellent stop for visitors interested in design, posters, graphics, and contemporary visual culture. The Toni-Areal setting also gives it a distinctive industrial feel, since the area was once home to a large factory and is now a lively cultural and educational quarter. Nearby, you can explore Zürich-West, one of the city’s most interesting urban areas, with former industrial buildings, modern architecture, cafés, and cultural spaces. The Hardbrücke area is close as well, making it easy to combine the visit with other city sights.

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