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kunstmuseum basel invites audiences to discover 700 years of art from over 4,000 works

the Oldest public art collection is at Kunstmuseum Basel

Kunstmuseum Basel is inviting visitors to experience its unparalleled holdings spanning seven centuries of artistic production. Founded in 1661 as the world’s oldest public art collection, the museum today houses over 4,000 paintings, sculptures, videos, and installations, alongside some 300,000 drawings and prints in the Kupferstichkabinett. Highlights include masterpieces by Hans Holbein the Younger, Konrad Witz, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Alberto Giacometti, Helen Frankenthaler, Andy Warhol, Pamela Rosenkranz, and many more. Its curated presentations guide audiences through the Old Masters, the 19th century, Classical Modernism, art after 1950, and contemporary practice across the museum’s three buildings.

(above) Hans Holbein d. J.,’The Dead Christ in the Tomb’, 1521 – 1522, Kunstmuseum Basel, Photo: Max Ehrengruber

(banner) Auguste Rodin, ’The Burghers of Calais’, 1884–1889, Cast 1942/43, Kunstmuseum Basel, Photo: Martin P. Bühler | all images courtesy of Kunstmuseum Basel

over 4’000 paintings, sculptures, videos and installations

The earliest works in the collection date from around 1400, with standout pieces by Konrad Witz, who was active in Basel between 1434 and ca. 1445. The museum holds the single largest ensemble of his paintings in existence, including panels of the Heilsspiegel Altarpiece. Equally striking is the Kunstmuseum’s unrivaled collection of works from Hans Holbein the Younger’s Basel period, among them The Dead Christ in the Tomb (1521–22), the artist’s family portrait, the Passion Altarpiece, and his organ shutter designs for Basel Minster.

On the Hauptbau’s first floor, facing St. Alban-Graben, the galleries focus on the ‘long nineteenth century.’ Here, visitors encounter Swiss masters such as Henry Fuseli, Caspar Wolf, Arnold Böcklin, Albert Anker, and Ferdinand Hodler. French painting bridges tradition and modernism with Camille Corot and Gustave Courbet, while Impressionism emerges in works by Camille Pissarro, Paul Cézanne, Auguste Renoir, and Claude Monet, including Die Steilküste von Aval mit Felsentor und Felsnadel (1884). The presentation culminates in masterworks by Vincent van Gogh, including his Selbstbildnis mit japanischem Holzschnitt (1887), as well as pieces by Paul Gauguin and Edgar Degas.

Vivian Suter, ’Untitled’, 2023, Donation by Maja Oeri in honor of Josef Helfenstein, Photo: Max Ehrengruber

the museum’s collections span from seven centuries

The museum’s second floor reveals highlights of classical modernism, beginning with Fauvism and Cubism and extending into Expressionism, Surrealism, and Constructivism. Among its treasures are Oskar Kokoschka’s Bride of the Wind and Franz Marc’s Animal Destinies, along with Sophie Taeuber-Arp’s Équilibre (1934). The Steinsaal offers a dedicated space for the sculpture of Alberto Giacometti, immersing visitors in the Swiss artist’s singular vision.

In the 1950s, Kunstmuseum Basel established itself as a progressive institution for contemporary art. A pivotal donation from the Schweizerische National-Versicherungs-Gesellschaft enabled the acquisition of four works of Abstract Expressionism, cementing the museum’s reputation. The collection now includes icons such as Helen Frankenthaler’s Riverhead (1963) and Andy Warhol’s Ginger Rogers (1962). These acquisitions laid the foundation for one of Europe’s most forward-looking contemporary art holdings.

Louise Lawler,’(Bunny) Sculpture and Painting (adjusted to fit, distorted for the times)’, 2022/2024, Kunstmuseum Basel, Courtesy the artist and Sprüth Magers; Frank Stella, ’Damascus Gate. Variation I’, 1969–1970, Kunstmuseum Basel, Acquisition © 2025, ProLitteris, Zurich; Louise Lawler, ’ Three Flags (swiped and taken) (adjusted to fit) (mirrored or flipped) Cease Fire’, 2022/2024, Courtesy the artist and Sprüth Magers; | image © Max Ehrengruber

At Kunstmuseum Basel | Gegenwart, the focus shifts to works from the last four decades, drawn from the Öffentliche Kunstsammlung Basel and the Emanuel Hoffmann Foundation. Thematic displays engage with pressing issues of today, from Vulnerability and Identity to Digital Culture, Nature, and Global Contexts. Notably, the collection has recently been enriched by Pamela Rosenkranz’s Skin Pool (Plasmin) (2025), acquired with the support of the Burger Collection, Hong Kong, and the TOY family in memory of Yves.

The Kunstmuseum’s architecture is itself part of the story. The Hauptbau, completed in 1936 by Rudolf Christ and Paul Bonatz, exemplifies conservative modernism. The Neubau, designed by Christ & Gantenbein, opened in 2016 opposite the Hauptbau and connects to it underground, expanding the institution’s footprint. Meanwhile, Kunstmuseum Basel | Gegenwart, inaugurated in 1980, provides a dedicated home for contemporary holdings.

The Hauptbau, completed in 1936 by the architects Rudolf Christ and Paul Bonatz | image © Raphaela Graf

Pamela Rosenkranz, ’Skin Pool (Plasmin)’, 2025, Kunstmuseum Basel, Acquired in 2025, with the support of the Burger Collection, Hong Kong, and the TOY family, in memory of Yves

Helen Frankenthaler, ’Riverhead’, 1963, Kunstmuseum Basel, Donation by Helen Frankenthaler Foundation © 2025, ProLitteris, Zurich, Photo: Max Ehrengruber

Claude Monet,’The Rock Needle and the Porte d’Aval’, 1884, Kunstmuseum Basel, on deposit from the Dr. h.c. Emile Dreyfus Foundation, Photo: Martin P. Bühler

Vincent van Gogh, ’Self-Portrait with a Japanese Print’, 1887, on deposit from the Dr. h.c. Emile Dreyfus Foundation, Photo: Martin P. Bühler

project info:

name: Kunstmuseum Basel

location: Basel, Switzerland

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prague approves sculptural shipwreck tower, set to become czechia’s tallest building

david černý’s shipwreck tower to rise above prague

First unveiled in 2019, the 135-meter-tall Top Tower has now received approval from city officials, paving the way for it to become the tallest building in the Czech Republic, surpassing Brno’s AZ Tower by nine meters. Rising in Prague’s Nové Butovice neighborhood, the sculptural landmark, co-designed by artist David Černý and architect Tomáš Císař of Black n’ Arch, resembles a vertical shipwreck and is envisioned as a mixed-use hub with residences, offices, and a generous public realm at its base. Crowned by a sky-high observation deck, the project promises to offer sweeping views across the capital and its surrounding landscape.

all images © Black n’ Arch

Co-living, culture, and sustainability in czechia’s tallest tower

Conceived as a sculptural landmark, the tower integrates Černý’s dramatic vision of a vertical shipwreck entangled with the structure, establishing a new focal point for the neighborhood. At its core, the development is a residential rental scheme that embraces the co-living model, offering compact private units alongside generous communal spaces to encourage interaction and shared living. Complementing the housing are office spaces, retail units, and a multifunctional cultural center, while a publicly accessible roof garden and sky-high observation deck is set to provide expansive views across Prague. Shops and services are planned for the lower floors, with a 24-hour public underground car park integrated into the scheme. The project is being overseen by developer group Trigema and designed by boundary-pushing sculptor David Černý and Tomáš Císař of architecture firm Black n’ Arch.

Sustainability has been embedded into the design, with an integrated system for rainwater collection and reuse, and LEED Gold certification anticipated. Beyond the tower itself, the project will also revitalize the surrounding public realm, including the pedestrian zone linking entrances to the nearby metro station. 

the tower is crowned with a public observation deck

the tower climbs to a total height of 135 meters (443 feet)

complementing the housing are office spaces, retail units, and a multifunctional cultural center

project info:

name: Top Tower
location: Prague, Czech Republic
developer: Trigema | @trigema_as
design: David Černý | @cerny.david and Tomáš Císař of Black n’ Arch | @blacknarch

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meta ray-ban and OAKLEY AI glasses come with earbud-free calls and autocapture feature

Meta unveils Ray-Ban Display and OAKLEY Vanguard

Meta introduces Ray-Ban Display with a neural wristband and OAKLEY Vanguard AI glasses that come with earbuds-free (video) calls and an autocapture feature. Unveiled during the Connect event on September 17th, 2025, the devices house optical modules with transparent lenses. In the Meta Ray-Ban Display, the module contains a small projector that places text or images on the lens surface, while Vanguard replaces the projector with OAKLEY PRIZM lenses for outdoor vision but keeps the same lens mount. Both models share a camera unit positioned at the top corner of each frame, containing a 12-megapixel sensor, autofocus motor, and protective cover. Microphones and open-ear speakers sit inside the temple arms, connected by flexible printed circuits.

Power blocks sit in the ends of the arms, where they hold rechargeable lithium-ion cells and a small power-management board. Charging contacts align with portable cases that also store extra battery capacity, and wireless antennas for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are laid along the arms. The frames differ in shape: the Meta Ray-Ban Display follows classic eyeglass lines, while the OAKLEY Meta Vanguard has a sport wrap, but both use impact-resistant polymer shells with metal cores at stress points. The nose pads and lens elements are removable, so repairs or upgrades use the same attachment system. The difference is only the OAKLEY Meta Vanguard has the autocapture feature, which allows users to take photos and videos without taking out their smartphones.

all images courtesy of Meta

AI glasses with wearable neural band for gesture commands

The Meta Ray-Ban Display combines a pair of lightweight glasses with a color display, microphones, speakers, cameras, and an AI system. The display is built into the lens area but set off to the side for a clear forward view, and the projection turns on only when requested via verbal command or gesture. The eyewear lets users read short text, preview photos or videos, make video calls, follow navigation, see captions, translate speech, control music, and take photos or videos through an onboard camera, while a real-time viewfinder and zoom allow framing shots. 

The lenses use Transitions technology, so the same pair works indoors and outdoors. Battery life is about six hours of mixed use, extendable to thirty hours with a folding charging case. So far, the frame comes in two colors: Black and Sand. With the Meta Ray-Ban Display comes the Neural Band, a wearable wrist device that links to the AI glasses. It reads muscle signals through electromyography (EMG) sensors and converts them into commands. Subtle finger or wrist actions allow scrolling, swiping, selecting, or adjusting volume without touching the glasses or a phone. The band has three sizes and a strap made from Vectran, a high-tensile fiber also used on Mars Rover landing pads. It carries an IPX7 water rating, runs up to 18 hours, and is light enough for extended wear.

view of the Oakley Meta Vanguard AI glasses

AI-powered sports eyewear with autocapture feature

Then, there’s the OAKLEY Meta Vanguard, a pair of AI glasses mainly used for sports. The wraparound frame houses open-ear speakers, a five-microphone array, a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera, and video tools such as slow motion and hyperlapse, and the eyewear can automatically capture video hands-free in up to 3K resolution when requested. 

They connect to the Meta AI app and integrate with Garmin and Strava for live performance data and automatic video capture at training milestones. The product ships with three interchangeable nose pads for different fits and is compatible with helmets. It is rated IP67 for dust and water, and there’s an included charging case that gives an extra 36 hours of power (with quick charging to 50 percent in 20 minutes). The Meta Ray-Ban Display with Neural Band launches on September 30th, while the OAKLEY Meta Vanguard comes out on October 21st.

the eyewear comes with removable lenses

view of the Metal Ray-Ban Display AI glasses

the eyewear allows for earbuds-free (video) calls

the display is built into the lens area but set off to the side

project info:

name: Meta Ray-Ban Display, OAKLEY Meta Vanguard

companies: Meta, Ray-Ban, OAKLEY | @meta, @rayban, @OAKLEY

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cadence architects designs monumental library for engineering school in india

An Open and Democratic Design

A new library for Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology (SMVIT) in Bangalore, India has completed with architecture by locally-based Cadence Architects. With its monumental presence and exposed concrete structure atop an array of pilotis, the building establishes a strong landmark at the heart of the engineering university’s masterplan. The SMVIT Library is sited along a main road between the hostel buildings and academic blocks, and will soon overlook a central plaza which is soon to be completed, creating a natural gathering point for faculty and students.

images © Atik Bheda

a gathering hub for smvit

Cadence Architects shapes the library to encourage interaction across the SMVIT campus. The building does not read as a solitary monument but as an active connector. Its floorplan invites movement throughout and around the structure which, as the architects note, supports the university’s call for a democratic, inclusive hub.

The heavy concrete volume is elevated over the ground plane atop a series of columns, its footprint planned as a careful response to the site’s mature trees, weaving the building into its natural setting. Broad pedestrian paths pass through and along the structure, enhancing its role as both a destination and a thoroughfare within the campus.

the heavy concrete volume is elevated over the ground plane atop a series of columns

cadence architects’ sectional complexity

Concrete gives Cadence Architects’ SMVIT Library a sense of permanence and strength, while the building’s porosity and layered volumes maintain a welcoming atmosphere. The design team balances solidity with openness, ensuring the library feels at once grounded and responsive to sunlight and breezes.

Inside, sectional shifts create a mix of intimate reading alcoves and generous communal zones. The interplay of volumes supports focused study as well as collaboration, further embodying the architecture’s flexible and democratic spirit.

locally-based firm Cadence Architects designed the building as a gathering hub

interior spaces range from quiet reading nooks to open communal zones

the design encourages interaction and collaboration across disciplines

sunlight filtered through mature trees casts patterned shadows across the interiors

project info:

name: SMVIT Library

architect: Cadence Architects | @cadence_architects

location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

client: Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology

design team: Narendra Pirgal, Vikram Rajashekar, Smaran Mallesh, Anshul Deshmukh, Aishani Nath, Shilpa Ananth

completion: March 2025

photography: © Atik Bheda | @atikbheda

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