The MCBA, Lausanne’s Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts, presents over 10,000 works from the late 18th century to the present day, alongside temporary exhibitions. It occupies a contemporary building at Plateforme 10, the arts district next to the railway station.
Fine and applied arts museums
Main highlights
- Temporary exhibitions : monographs, themed shows and dialogues between historic and contemporary works
- Permanent collection of French-speaking Swiss and international art, including Vallotton, Bailly and Gleyre
- Barozzi Veiga building in ribbed brick, with over 3,000 m² of exhibition space
Overview
The Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts was founded in 1841 as a private initiative, funded by the artist Marc-Louis Arlaud, who became its first curator. For more than a century it was housed in the Palais de Rumine, before moving into a building designed specifically for it.
Designed by the Spanish practice Barozzi Veiga, the building is recognisable by its ribbed brick façade and geometric volumes. Together with the Musée cantonal de design et d’arts appliqués contemporains and Photo Elysée, the MCBA forms Plateforme 10, right next to the railway station.
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What to see and do
Temporary exhibitions take centre stage. They alternate between artist monographs, themed presentations and dialogues between historic works and contemporary creations, across several spaces and sometimes on a large scale.
The permanent collection brings together paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints. It focuses on art from French-speaking Switzerland while also embracing international movements : Félix Vallotton, Alice Bailly, Charles Gleyre and contemporary artists. Its thematic display changes regularly. The Espace Projet and Espace Focus showcase emerging practices or explore a particular aspect of the collection in depth.
The building also houses the Fondation Toms Pauli and its collections, the Fondation Félix Vallotton and the Balthus Archives. A library is open to researchers and art lovers.
Practical information
Getting there : a 3-minute walk from Lausanne CFF station, served by the m2 metro and several bus lines. Montbenon car park is 300 m away.
Visit duration : 1.5 to 3 hours depending on your interest.
Accessibility : the museum is fully accessible to people with reduced mobility.
On site : Le Nabi restaurant with terrace, bookshop-boutique and library.
Visiting tips
For a half-day outing, combine the MCBA with the two other Plateforme 10 museums : a combined ticket gives access to all three collections of fine arts, design and photography.
The museum offers guided tours and workshops. Check its programme before you visit. Le Nabi restaurant offers a view over the city.
Nearby attractions
- Photo Elysée, the MCBA’s neighbour at Plateforme 10, is dedicated to historic and contemporary photography.
- The Lausanne Botanical Garden combines botanical collections, educational spaces and city strolls.
- The Church of Saint-François in Lausanne, a 13th-century Gothic building, houses a set of four organs.
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