Kunsthistorisches Museum to Undergo Major Renovation with New Entrances

The Kunsthistorisches Museum (KHM) in Vienna is set to enhance its visitor experience by replacing the temporary ticket containers currently situated at the museum's entrance. A comprehensive renovation plan has been unveiled, aiming for completion by 2028, with a budget of EUR42.3 million allocated to ensure accessibility and streamline visitor flow.

Jonathan Fine, the General Director of KHM, emphasized that accessibility is the cornerstone of this initiative. The architectural firm chaixetmorel has designed new entrances that will allow for easier access to the museum. The left entrance will cater specifically to individuals with mobility impairments and group visitors, while the right entrance will be designated for school groups. The design will replace existing windows facing Maria-Theresien-Platz with two glass doors, eliminating long waiting lines and enhancing visitor convenience.

Fine stated that the renovation respects the historical architecture of the museum, originally designed by Gottfried Semper and Karl Hasenauer, aiming to make this architectural heritage more visible. The project will also provide an additional 2,200 square meters of space for visitors, featuring accessible ticket counters, cloakrooms, and restrooms. New facilities will include a self-service café, a museum shop, educational spaces, and an artist's studio.

To facilitate this expansion, existing office spaces and the security center will be relocated. The interior courtyards will also see improvements, with the addition of emergency exit staircases alongside existing elevators. This design aims to alleviate crowding and enhance the overall visitor experience, with a representative from the architectural consortium expressing confidence that the renovation will effectively reduce queue formation.

The construction is scheduled to commence at the beginning of 2027, with an anticipated completion period of 18 months, all while the museum remains operational. Prior to the main construction phase, a temporary structure will be erected to accommodate ongoing activities in the vicinity of the museum, ensuring symmetry with the neighboring Natural History Museum during its renovation.

Paul Frey, the managing director, noted that various options had been explored over the years, including extensions and underground facilities, but ultimately, they concluded that the original Semper/Hasenauer building still holds significant potential. The renovation aims to achieve substantial improvements for visitors with a relatively modest budget. Of the total project cost, EUR34.8 million is covered by the Ministry of Culture, while KHM will contribute EUR1 million annually from its budget until 2028. The remaining EUR3.5 million funding gap will need to be addressed moving forward.

Looking ahead, Fine mentioned that discussions regarding potential new exhibition spaces are still ongoing, indicating that this renovation may not be the last. Future plans could include the establishment of a depot beneath the museum's courtyard and covering the courtyards in the coming decades. However, the current renovation is regarded as foundational for all future developments within the museum.

In addition to physical renovations, the museum's online presence has also been upgraded. The revamped website, which has undergone three years of development, is now more intuitive and optimized for mobile access, featuring an enhanced search function and an interactive floor plan.