The Musée de design et d’arts appliqués contemporains (mudac) in Lausanne is the only institution in western Switzerland dedicated exclusively to design.
© Etienne Malapert
Founded in 1967, mudac has long showcased contemporary Swiss and international design. In 1995 an exchange of buildings between the canton of Vaud and the city of Lausanne set the stage for future development. Today, mudac is part of a concentrated cultural hub: alongside the Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts and Photo Elysée (Museum for Photography), it forms Plateforme10, a new arts district located close to Lausanne’s main train station.
Opened in June 2022, Plateforme10 unites the three institutions in a single urban arts destination, offering residents and visitors an accessible cluster of museums within easy walking distance of the Gare de Lausanne.
Flon de nuit © Didier Oberson – Mobimo
The new building that houses mudac was designed by Portuguese architects Francisco and Manuel Aires Mateus. The complex accommodates mudac on the upper level and Photo Elysée below, linked by shared reception and meeting areas. Together the venues offer roughly 16,000 square feet of exhibition space complemented by generous public areas for events, education and social activities.
© Lausanne Tourisme Collector Publique
Given the complex’s proximity to the railway, the three Plateforme10 institutions collaborated on a major exhibition titled Train / Zug / Treno / Tren. The show explores the train station as a space of departures, reunions and chance encounters, bringing together design objects, contemporary art and moving images drawn from advertising, music videos and historic archives.
The exhibition combines material from the Swiss Rail archives with works by artists and collectives such as Christian Boltanski, Salvador Dalí, Sophie Calle, Marina Abramović and Studio Job. By juxtaposing archival documents, artistic installations and popular culture references, Train / Zug / Treno / Tren traces the cultural and social significance of rail travel across time.
The exhibition runs through the end of September and will be followed by a rotating program of shows and public events across Plateforme10, ensuring a dynamic calendar for design, photography and fine arts enthusiasts.