Kolumba Art Museum

Overview

Kolumba is the art museum of the Archdiocese of Cologne, designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. The building itself is the star — a luminous gray brick structure that floats over the excavated ruins of the Gothic church of St. Kolumba, destroyed in WWII.

Highlights

• Zumthor Architecture: Light-filtering perforated brick walls create a contemplative atmosphere unique in museum design.
• Archaeological Layers: Visible Roman, medieval, and wartime ruins below the galleries.
• Rotating Exhibition: The entire collection is rehung annually around a single curatorial theme.

History

St. Kolumba church was destroyed in 1943; Gottfried Böhm built a chapel in the ruins in 1950. Zumthor won the competition for the museum in 1997; it opened in 2007 to international acclaim.

Visitor Tips

• No labels or wall texts — the museum provides a room guide; embrace the contemplative approach.
• Photography prohibited inside galleries.
• Duration: 45–60 minutes.