Kunsthaus Zürich

An art museum that rents its rooms, with prices on the page

Kunsthaus Zürich is the art museum at Heimplatz, 8001 Zürich, run by the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft, which the museum describes as one of the largest art associations in Europe. The first museum building on Heimplatz dates from 1910, and the Kunsthaus presents its collection as spanning 800 years of art history, from the Middle Ages to the present. Its rentals page, published in English, German and French, offers a set of event spaces with capacities and day rates, which is rare among Zurich venues and useful for a couple budgeting from abroad.

The page names weddings directly for one of those spaces: the Bel Étage of Villa Tobler, described as "ideal for memorable banquets, anniversaries, receptions or weddings." The other spaces are larger and more architectural, and suit a big reception or a wedding party.

Villa Tobler, the wedding space

Villa Tobler is described as a historic villa "Situated between Kunsthaus Zürich and the Old Town," whose Bel Étage is "a peaceful oasis in the heart of Zurich." The page says the villa takes guests into the elegant world of Art Nouveau, with original Art Nouveau interiors and selected works from the Kunsthaus collection giving the rooms their character, and that "A terrace overlooking Villa Tobler's beautiful garden completes the special atmosphere."

The published figures for Villa Tobler are:

• capacity of 20–100 people across 3 rooms, 200 m² in total
• theater-style seating for up to 45, a banquet for up to 60, a standing reception for up to 100
• venue hire of CHF 6,000 per day, including chairs

For a wedding, that means a seated dinner of up to 60 guests or a standing reception of up to 100, in a sequence of rooms rather than one hall.

Among the client comments on the page, one client calls the villa's rooms "exclusive Jugendstil rooms" and a caterer, segantini catering, says the lecture hall, foyer, garden and terrace can be turned into an atmospheric venue in any season, a caterer's view rather than a promise from the museum.

The larger spaces

The Ballroom, or Festsaal, sits "At the heart of the Chipperfield building" and is described as "an event venue with a strong architectural presence," with David Chipperfield's design language, brass wall cladding and integrated event technology. Its figures: capacity 50–500 people, 465 m², theater-style seating for up to 500, a banquet for up to 360, a standing reception for up to 500, and venue hire of CHF 7,500 per day including chairs.

The lecture hall in the Moser building, light-filled according to the page, has 650 m², theater-style seating for up to 380 and a banquet for up to 200, at CHF 4,000 per day including chairs. Its entrance area has cloakrooms, washrooms and a separate entrance from Heimplatz, and depending on the season the Tinguely Garden extends it outdoors for open-air receptions and breaks.

The Moser Foyer holds 20–60 people in 150m2, for a rental fee of CHF 1,500. The page pitches it for a drinks party or reception next to the exhibition galleries and as a starting point for a museum tour, which could suit a wedding aperitif before a dinner elsewhere.

The page adds that, depending on the venue, furniture, technical equipment, catering infrastructure, additional rooms and outdoor areas can also be booked, and a factsheet can be downloaded for each space.

Catering and extras

The rentals page does not offer in-house catering. It says couples can choose the catering that suits them, "from a finger buffet or light supper to a full-scale banquet," and that the museum is happy to recommend catering firms with experience at its premises. Catering is therefore a separate contract and a separate cost from the day rates above.

For guests, the page suggests adding a guided tour or a workshop in the museum as a fringe program. That is a real point of difference for a wedding: guests can see the collection as part of the celebration.

The museum's gastronomy page lists the Kunsthaus Bar in the Chipperfield building, the restaurant "The Art of Mezze" bei Moudi at the old building with a large terrace over Heimplatz, and a café in the Moser building. These are public outlets with their own opening hours rather than wedding caterers, but they are useful for guests before or after an event.

Contact and language

Enquiries for rentals go to events@kunsthaus.ch or +41 44 253 84 73, with an enquiry form; the page also lists separate contacts for the event hall and Villa Tobler and for the ballroom. It promises further information, such as images or technical details, and support in organizing the event. The rentals page itself is in English, and the site has German and French versions, so a couple can read the whole offer without German.

What the site does not settle

The page does not mention a wedding ceremony in any of the spaces, only receptions, banquets and celebrations, so couples should ask whether a ceremony can be held there. It gives no end time for events, no deposit or cancellation terms and no catering prices, as catering comes from outside firms. It does not say whether the Villa Tobler terrace and garden can be used for an aperitif, how evening events fit around museum opening hours, or whether rooms can be combined, for example the Moser Foyer for the aperitif and Villa Tobler for dinner. The rentals page gives the Heimplatz address but no parking or transport details.

Who it suits

Kunsthaus Zürich suits couples who want a city wedding reception in a cultural setting, with published prices to plan against. Villa Tobler fits a dinner of up to 60 guests in Art Nouveau rooms with art on the walls; the Ballroom fits a large party of up to 360 at tables in contemporary architecture. The option of a guided museum tour gives guests from abroad something distinctive.

It suits less well a couple who wants an all-in venue with its own kitchen, a ceremony and reception confirmed in one place, or a rural or mountain setting. The day rate covers the room and chairs, and everything else is added on top.