MKM Museum Küppersmühle für Moderne Kunst

The Ruhrgebiet


One of the biggest collections of German art created after 1945 is on display at this humongous historical mill and grain storage silo in the Inner Harbour district. It was converted by Swiss Pritzker Prize–winning architects Herzog & de Meuron, who are building a new extension due to open in 2019. From Baselitz and Kiefer to Richter, all the big names are showcased beneath the lofty ceilings; there are up to six international art exhibits annually.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The Ruhrgebiet attractions

1. Lehmbruck Museum

0.85 MILES

This museum is famous for its vast collection of modern international sculpture by artists including Archipenko, Giacometti, Kollwitz, Ernst and Chillida…

2. Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord

2.73 MILES

Molten iron used to flow 24/7 from the fiery furnaces of this decommissioned ironworks that is now an urban oasis, performance space and all-ages…

3. Gasometer Oberhausen

5.53 MILES

This barrel-shaped tower – spectacularly lit at night – stored gas to power blast furnaces from the 1920s until 1988. Six years later, the Gasometer…

4. Josef Albers Museum

8.78 MILES

Bottrop-born Josef Albers (1888–1976) was a painter of abstract works that combine bold use of colour with geometric forms. A member of the Bauhaus school…

5. Tetraeder

9.94 MILES

The Tetraeder is one of the most striking stops on the Ruhr Valley's Industrial Heritage Trail. The airy 60m-high installation by Wolfgang Christ is a…

6. Museum Folkwang

10.03 MILES

A grand dame among Germany’s art repositories, the Museum Folkwang has sparkling digs designed by top British architect David Chipperfield. Galleries…

7. Dom Essen

10.4 MILES

Essen’s medieval Dom is an island of quiet engulfed by the commercialism of pedestrianised Kettwiger Strasse, the main shopping strip. It has a priceless…

8. Alte Synagoge

10.51 MILES

The grand Alte Synagoge served as the hub of Essen's Jewish community between 1913 and 1938 and miraculously survived WWII largely intact. A memorial site…