ALTEFABRIK

About the museum

ALTEFABRIK is the original site of today's Geberit AG. In 1874 the Gebert family founded a tinsmith business in Rapperswil, and in 1905 Albert Emil Gebert succeeded in mass-producing lead-lined wooden flush cisterns. On a plot of land acquired in 1915 on Falkenstrasse, the first factory building was erected in 1919; it is now a protected cultural monument from the city's early industrial period. Production there ended in 1962.

In 1988 Jörg Gebert, a grandson of the company founder, proposed turning the vacant building into a cultural center. Two years later the Gebert Stiftung für Kultur (Gebert Foundation for Culture) was established, and it has been responsible for the program ever since. From 2000 onward the operation was professionalized and a cultural office was set up. In 2011 the decision was made for a complete conversion, in which the joint city library of Rapperswil and Jona moved into the second floor. After the renovation from April 2012 to March 2014, ALTEFABRIK reopened on March 29, 2014.

The heart of the building is the factory theater and the roughly 500-square-meter exhibition space on the first floor. It presents contemporary art and design in changing exhibitions, including the KURATOR*IN support program for young exhibition makers, the ALTEFABRIK Design Award and, alternating with it, the Grosse Regionale, which is produced together with the Kunst(Zeug)Haus. The house has no collection of its own and no permanent exhibition; visiting the exhibitions is free. A children's studio and guided tours with the curator accompany the program.

Highlights

• Exhibition space for contemporary art and design with free admission
• Original site of Geberit AG since 1919, now a protected cultural monument
• Factory theater for concerts, theater and readings
• Kinder Kunst Labor: open studio for children aged 5 and up
• City library and bistro under one roof

Founded

1990

Operated by

Gebert Stiftung für Kultur

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Visiting the exhibitions is free. Admission is charged for events in the factory theater (usually CHF 30, reduced CHF 25 or CHF 15; people with a KulturLegi receive a 50 percent discount on the full price).

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

According to museums.ch, the building is fully wheelchair-accessible.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

In the Kinder Kunst Labor, an open studio for children aged 5 and up, children explore the current exhibition and then create their own works. Information and registration at the office (055 225 74 74).

Getting there & parking

The house is centrally located, directly behind the AlbuVille shopping center.

Amenities & dining

• Café

Bistro in the building (for opening hours, see the opening hours notes); city library on the second floor.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 200 guests.

The factory theater (about 114 square meters, or 156 including the stage) offers space for 120 to 200 people depending on the seating arrangement and can be rented for events, rehearsals, courses and meetings.

Plan your visit