Museum Café

Museum Abteiberg’s café opens directly onto the collection and exhibition galleries. Only a glass wall and a slight change in level separate it from the galleries, keeping visitors connected to the museum’s art and architecture even while taking a break. The large square “slide” window frames a view of the sculpture garden and the Münsterkirche beyond, a church 1,000 years older than the museum and the site where Mönchengladbach originated. This openness between interior and exterior makes the café part of the architecture itself and completes Hans Hollein’s vision of the museum as a Gesamtkunstwerk—a total work of art.

The museum café’s interior reflects Hans Hollein’s postmodern design concept. Elements he designed—most of them original and still in place today—include the rounded counter, the glass rotunda with its round table and wraparound bench, and the sofa in front of the large square window. All were custom-made and echo the materials and forms found throughout the museum.

In addition to providing a place to take a break, the museum café has also become an extension of the exhibition galleries. Since 2019, Thomas Locher’s (b. 1956) wall work Imperative / Aufforderungen, Befehle und Kommandos (Imperatives / Requests, Orders, and Commands) has been installed in the vestibule outside the restrooms. The installation is a new iteration of a work Locher developed in 1993 for Le Corbusier’s Unité d’Habitation in Firminy, France. The work entered Museum Abteiberg’s collection in 2012 as a gift from a private owner.

The museum café has vending machines for hot drinks and snacks, as well as self-service water. On First Sunday each month, volunteers from Museumsverein Abteiberg staff the café. Children can use the mezzanine to play and draw. Large tables are available for groups and seminars.

The café also becomes a cultural gathering place for exhibition openings and other events, as well as regularly on Third Thursday. Exhibition talks, readings, concerts, and performances take place here, including events organized in cooperation with Museumsverein Abteiberg. See the calendar for upcoming events.

The museum café is available to rent for private events. It can accommodate standing receptions and gatherings of up to 60 people, with simple catering available for meetings of up to 100. In good weather, guests can also use the outdoor terrace, which offers an exceptional view of the sculpture garden.