Belvedere 21

The Belvedere 21 in Vienna is an architectural one-of-a-kind with its roots in the 1958 World's Fair in Brussels. The Austrian Pavilion, designed by Karl Schwanzer, is a steel structure suspended from four pylons. It was not demolished after the Expo but moved to Vienna and reassembled in the Schweizergarten in the third district. Originally known as the Museum of the 20th Century, the building later served as an annex of the MUMOK before passing to the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere in 2002. After standing empty for years and undergoing an extensive renovation by architect Adolf Krischanitz, who adapted the historic steel structure to modern building codes, the building reopened in November 2011 as the 21er Haus. Since 2018 it has been called Belvedere 21 and serves as the third site of the Belvedere complex.

Today the museum sees itself as a venue for contemporary art that places Austrian positions of the 20th and 21st centuries in an international context. Here you can experience not only traditional exhibitions but also a varied program of performance, music, film, and discussions. A particular focus is on presenting young, innovative artists. The lower level houses a room dedicated to the sculptor Fritz Wotruba, while the federal government's Artothek is located on the second lower level. The historic cinema, whose seating and wall design date back to Expo 58, is also being used for screenings again. A lively meeting place in the urban landscape, the Belvedere 21 offers an interdisciplinary gathering spot with its restaurant and a museum shop designed by an artist, carrying on the legend of the unconventional 20er Haus.