St.Gallen Textile Museum

Fabrics and embroideries from all over the world, pattern books, design drawings and photographs illustrate the fortunes of the Swiss textile industry between regional ties and international integration. History: From 1863, the “Kaufmännisches Direktorium St.Gallen” regularly acquired fabric samples from all over the world and displayed them in a sample room for the regional textile industry to view. Finally, in 1878, the “St.Gallen Industrial and Commercial Museum” was founded, giving rise to the need for a building of its own. This was completed in 1886 in a palatial historicist building on the former Seidenhof site in Vadianstrasse. In addition to the collections of the “Kaufmännisches Direktorium”, the museum housed the textile library, the drawing school and, from 1890, the embroidery school. At the same time, a platform was created for the presentation of aesthetic innovations and inspiration through design. In 1982, the museum was renamed from “Industrie- und Gewerbemuseum” to Textilmuseum St.Gallen. Since 1900, more and more temporary exhibitions have been held, with the St.Gallen Textile Museum being able to draw on important private collections and company archives that have been acquired over the decades. They complement the original sample collections with valuable historical textiles that were once used by textile industrialists as models for their own production and are still among the highlights of the museum's collection today. Architecture: Over the years, the collection grew steadily. The need for space increased and so the museum was extended in 1956. A similarly massive intervention in the appearance of the building was the gray façade painting of 1962, which has since been repainted in red. The textile library was rebuilt and extended in 1987/88. The four-storey brick building is 40 meters long and begins with the mezzanine floor on a half-storey granite base. The fourth floor is set back behind the roof cornice, emphasizing the tower shape of the building. The building, which was designed by Zurich architect Gustav Gull, is also known as the “Palazzo Rosso” due to its red brick façade. Current use: The St.Gallen Textile Museum is still a lively platform for historical and innovative textile design today. Two to three special exhibitions per year thematically complement the permanent exhibition on the history of textiles in Eastern Switzerland. A varied program of events, educational activities and an attractive store round off the offer.

Opening times

Tuesday	10:00–17:00
Wednesday	10:00–17:00
Thursday	10:00–17:00
Friday	10:00–17:00
Saturday	10:00–17:00
Sunday	10:00–17:00