Renovating the Textile Museum

In 1886, the building for the Textile Museum was constructed in St. Gallen, where it earned the still popular moniker of “Palazzo Rosso” due to its brick facades and elegant appearance. The building’s character and location in the heart of the city of St. Gallen set it apart as the extraordinary landmark that it remains to this day. However, much has changed in the last 135 years, a time in which the museum building itself remained largely unchanged. The collection has grown to include many historically important textiles that are in some cases entirely unique, the demands being placed on the museum building have increased, and the needs of the museum’s visitors have changed. The museum building’s infrastructure, which has remained the same during this time, has been falling behind in an environment subject to so much change.

The Board of Trustees of the Textile Museum Foundation has a clear vision for the museum building, one that will make it functionally and visually appropriate for the collections as well as the textile history of St. Gallen.

With the renovation of the Textile Museum, the premises are to meet modern requirements in regard to safety and visitor-friendliness. The storage rooms in which the collection is housed throughout the building, along with the exhibition technology, are to be brought up to the level that the unique items in the collection deserve. The redesign and the addition of a museum café will allow the building to present itself to the public in an even more impressive manner in the future, both inside and outside, transforming it into a truly inviting venue in the heart of St. Gallen.

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