Albertina Klosterneuburg

The Albertina Klosterneuburg is a contemporary art museum in Klosterneuburg, Austria, a branch of the Albertina in Vienna. Opened in April 2024, it occupies the former site of the Essl Museum and displays post-1945 works from the Albertina's holdings, including the Essl Collection. The institution represents a significant expansion of the Albertina's presence beyond Vienna, following the earlier establishment of the Albertina Modern in 2020.

The site's history as an art venue began long before the Albertina's involvement. Agnes and Karlheinz Essl Sr., who built the Schömer and Baumax company, assembled the Essl Collection over decades. From 1987, they displayed parts of it in the central hall of the Schömer-Haus administrative building in Klosterneuburg, designed by architect Heinz Tesar, hosting presentations of artists such as Arnulf Rainer and Hermann Nitsch as well as new music evenings directed by Karlheinz Essl Jr. After a 1990 proposal to integrate the collection into Vienna's MuseumsQuartier failed due to media resistance, the Essls commissioned Tesar to design a dedicated museum building with a central art depot. The Essl Museum operated from 1999 until financial difficulties forced its closure on 1 July 2016. The Essl Collection was transferred to the Albertina as a long-term loan in spring 2017 and gifted in 2018, with the Albertina also gaining control of the building in 2017. The building served for storage of the Essl collection and other contemporary works, and housed the Albertina's workshop. The Albertina Klosterneuburg opened to the public on 9 April 2024. In December 2024, retiring Albertina director Klaus Albrecht Schröder identified the delayed opening as a personal mistake, stating he should have founded the branch five years earlier, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic and his own decision-making had caused delays.

The Albertina Klosterneuburg displays post-1945 works held by the Albertina. This encompasses the Essl Collection, which the Essls built over decades and which became a cornerstone of the Albertina's contemporary holdings after its transfer and gift. The museum thus continues the Essl Museum's original focus on contemporary art while integrating these works into the broader Albertina framework.

The museum building, designed by architect Heinz Tesar, stands in a mixed commercial area on an access road between the S-Bahn railway tracks, near the Klosterneuburg-Weidling station, and the Danube. Its floor plan forms a right-angled triangle, with the hypotenuse running parallel to the railway line and the acute angle oriented toward Klosterneuburg Abbey. The shortest facade contains the entrance tract. The building received the Austrian Builders' Prize in 2000. The structure was originally conceived with a central art depot as its core feature, reflecting its dual function as exhibition space and storage facility.

The Albertina Klosterneuburg is located in Klosterneuburg, near Vienna, accessible via the Klosterneuburg-Weidling S-Bahn station. As a branch of the Albertina, it operates under the ownership and administration of that institution. Its website is http://www.essl.museum/. The museum opened in April 2024 and serves as the Albertina's second branch, expanding the Vienna-based institution's geographical reach and public access to its contemporary art holdings.