The Unterlinden Museum in Colmar, the setting for the famous Issenheim altarpiece and many Renaissance masterpieces, has just reopened its doors in December, 2015, after three years of construction work to enlarge the facility and hopefully double the number of visitors. Set in a former Dominican convent since its creation in 1853, the museum has grown from 4,000 to 7,900 square meters and expects to attract 350,000 visitors a year (up from 200,000), making it one of the most visited fine arts museum outside Paris.
The new museum, renovated at a cost of 44 million euros by the Swiss architects Pierre de Meuron and Jacques Herzog, now includes a modern building connected to the old wing by an underground gallery, and it incorporates the former 1906 municipal baths. This new wing will house modern art collections (with Georges Mathieu alongside Soulages, Dubuffet, Poliakoff) that had been intermittently relegated to the museum’s archives. Since 1960 Mr. Gérard Cahn, Vice-President of the Schongauer Society, under the presidency of Mr. Alfred Betz, has played a fundamental role in the policy for acquiring modern art pieces.
The new display will allow visitors to view Seventh Avenue (1957) and Hommage à Monsieur de Vauban (Homage to Monsieur de Vauban, 1969). The official inauguration will take place January 23, 2016 and will be attended by François Hollande, President of the French Republic, and Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament.
Invalid Displayed Gallery
Thanks to Frédérique Goerig-Hergott, Head Conservator of Cultural Heritage (modern and contemporary art) at the Unterlinden Museum, for her assistance.