The Vitra Design Museum numbers among the world's leading museums of design. It is dedicated to the research and presentation of design, past and present, and examines design's relationship to architecture, art and everyday culture. In the main museum building by Frank Gehry, the museum annually mounts two major temporary exhibitions, among them major solo retrospectives such as »An Eames Celebration« (2017) on designers Charles and Ray Eames, »Alexander Girard. A Designer's Universe« (2016)or Alvar Aalto (2014), as well as major exhibitions such as »Hello, Robot. Design between Human and Machine« (2017), »The Bauhaus #itsalldesign« (2015) or »Lightopia« (2013). In addition, smaller shows are presented in the Vitra Museum Gallery, which often follow a more contemporary and experimental approach.
The Vitra Schaudepot, which was designed by Herzog & de Meuron, presents approximately 400 key objects from the extensive collection and hence resembles one of the largest permanent collections and research sites on modern furniture design world-wide. Every year the presentation is expanded by three to four smaller exhibitions focusing specifically on items from the collection. Often developed with renowned designers, many of the museum's exhibitions cover highly relevant contemporary themes, such as future technologies, sustainability or questions like mobility and social responsibility. Others are presenting historical topics or monographic exhibitions on iconic designers.
The work of the Vitra Design Museum is based on its collection, which includes not only key objects of design history, but also the estates of several important design personalities. The museum library and document archive are available to researchers upon request. The museum conceives its exhibitions for touring, and they are shown at venues around the world. On the Vitra Campus, they are complemented by a diverse programme of events, guided tours, and workshops.