Kolumba

The Archdiocese's art museum in an award-winning building by Peter Zumthor – built over the ruins of St. Kolumba church, a place of stillness and art.

Art museum Architecture Rainy day Swimming

Kolumba is the art museum of the Archdiocese of Cologne and the city's second-oldest museum. It is world-famous above all for its building by the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, erected in 2007 over the ruins of the Gothic church of St. Kolumba.

Possible activities

Swimming ↗

Source: Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-06-24

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At a glance

Founded: 1853, new building 2007
Architect: Peter Zumthor
Location: Kolumbastraße, city centre
Notable: a museum over a church ruin with ancient foundations

Architecture as experience

Zumthor's building encloses the ruin of the war-destroyed church and the Roman and medieval foundations beneath. Daylight, silence and carefully hung artworks from the Middle Ages to the present make a visit a meditative experience. Kolumba is considered one of the most beautiful museums in Germany.