Löwenbräukunst

The Löwenbräukunst complex in Zurich is a central hub for contemporary art and culture. In the historic premises of the former brewery, renowned institutions, museums, and galleries come together to present a diverse and dynamic program.

Löwenbräukunst is home to the Museum Haus Konstruktiv, dedicated to concrete, constructive, and conceptual art, as well as Luma Westbau, which hosts changing exhibitions featuring current positions in the international art scene. Also part of the complex is the Migros Museum of Contemporary Art, which presents and collects a broad spectrum of contemporary artistic practices. The Kunsthalle Zürich stages pioneering exhibitions and fosters dialogue on new artistic developments. The internationally acclaimed gallery Hauser & Wirth represents another key presence within the complex. The program is complemented by Edition VFO – Verein für Originalgrafik, which is dedicated to promoting and disseminating original graphic art.

Together, these institutions form a unique center for contemporary art that extends far beyond Zurich, making a vital contribution to the city’s cultural diversity.

Flashback

The Löwenbräu opened in 1996, as it were, as a child of the spirit of optimism that had been heralded by the opera house riots in conservative Zurich. In the 1980s, the youth riots had set the stage for a Swiss art scene that was generally more open to debate, more tolerant and more open. A vibrant, provocative and surprising art scene, which also moved the official city of Zurich to stop investing only in established culture.

At that time, the Kunsthalle, the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Hauser & Wirth and a handful of other galleries moved into the former buildings of the beer brewery on Limmatstrasse. The building, or rather the industrial wasteland, was located in the middle of the industrial quarter of the city of Zurich. A quarter that was still on the periphery in terms of location, but had developed socially into the center of a young subculture. Numerous institutions, galleries, offspaces and illegal bars had settled around Hardturmstrasse and Limmatstrasse since the 1990s. The parties at Löwenbräu were also legendary. Joint openings of the institutions became crowd pullers, attracting a national but also international audience. This went hand in hand with a general ongoing development: contemporary art and its representatives became more and more the content of the culture industry.

To this day, the Löwenbräukunst is unique with its mix. No other roof unites in such a small space such different actors and institutions of contemporary art. The fact that, in addition to non-commercial interests, commercial interests are also being pursued is a criticism that Löwenbräu has been confronted with time and again since its founding and to this day. A criticism that has also provided and continues to provide internal moments for reflection and discussion. However, this local bundling of different players is also precisely what makes this art center unique to this day. Last but not least, it is this mix that contributes in particular to the fact that Löwenbräukunst offers the public not just one, but a multi-perspective view of important contemporary art.

Why we need to act

Through sustainable measures, Löwenbräukunst aims to make a significant contribution to societal transformation. The focus is on ecological priorities, with increased utilization and activation of public spaces.

The entire lighting system in the public areas of the Löwenbräukunst site has been converted to energy-saving LED technology.

Photovoltaic System on the Roof of Löwenbräukunst
Energy Dashboard
The current production (blue) shows the electricity we generate ourselves from the rooftop solar panels. From this, the current consumption (yellow) is subtracted, and the resulting balance represents either the feed-in (green) to the EWZ grid or the consumption (−) from the EWZ grid (green).
The graph displays the past 24 hours, indicating the times and amounts when the building is feeding electricity into the EWZ grid (green area above the zero axis) or drawing electricity from the EWZ grid (green area below the zero axis).
The photovoltaic systems on the roof can generate up to a maximum of 1.4 MWh per day in sunny conditions and together cover approximately 1,300 m² of the roof area.

Catering
For catering, Löwenbräukunst relies on regional and organic suppliers. With LOI bistro, the food on offer in house for staff and visitors is entirely vegetarian and vegan.

Partners
Wherever possible, Löwenbräukunst works with partner companies that practice sustainable and fair production methods.

Löwenbräukunst is Member of the Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC), an international network of art organisations committed to reducing the industry's environmental impact.
GCC’s primary goal is to facilitate a reduction of the sector’s CO2e emissions by a minimum of 50% by 2030, as well as promoting zero waste.

For our Löwenbräukunst beers we work with the local brewery Erusbacher & Paul. During the construction of their new brewery, great importance was attached to resource-saving operating processes and energy-saving measures. As one of the leaders in the industry, over 99% of all beers are filled in environmentally friendly returnable containers.