The MAK was founded in Vienna in 1863 as the Imperial Royal Austrian Museum of Art and Industry, with a mission combining education, examples of good design, and applied art. Its Ringstrasse building, completed in 1871, was designed by Heinrich von Ferstel.
The museum's collections cover furniture, glass, ceramics, textiles, metalwork, architecture, and contemporary design. Visitors can move between historic objects and newer approaches to design, seeing how the museum's original educational purpose continues through exhibitions and research.
