Kunsthaus Graz

The Kunsthaus was opened in 2003, when Graz was the European Capital of Culture, and is one of the most famous buildings of contemporary architecture in Austria. The London architects Peter Cook and Colin Fournier designed the biomorphic blue bubble, which is affectionately called "Friendly Alien" by the people of Graz. The outer shell made of around 1,300 acrylic glass panels houses the BIX facade, a media installation consisting of 930 light rings that turns the building into an oversized display at night. The location was deliberately chosen on the right bank of the Mur in the district of Lend to enhance the once-neglected neighborhood – today, the area around Südtirolerplatz is a vibrant creative quarter. The Kunsthaus features changing exhibitions of international contemporary art and is integrated into the historic Eiserne Haus, one of the oldest cast-iron buildings in Europe.