Zaha Hadid's design for the building was her first completed project in the United States.
The building is purposefully designed as a non-collecting museum, ensuring no permanent exhibitions exist.
The interior features an 'urban carpet' design, where the ground floor surface curves upward to become the back wall of the building.
The museum won the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Award in 2004.
The concrete staircases within the museum are designed to look like they are floating within the atrium.
It replaced the former CAC location which was housed in the historic downtown Provident Bank building.
The Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati is housed in the Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art, the first major American museum designed by a woman, Zaha Hadid. The building itself is a masterpiece of deconstructivist architecture, characterized by its "urban carpet" design that curves from the exterior sidewalk into the interior wall. It functions as a non-collecting institution, meaning it hosts a rotating schedule of temporary exhibitions rather than a permanent gallery. The structure features a distinctive concrete facade and a complex, interlocking interior volume. It integrates a six-story lobby with varied ramp systems, allowing for diverse curatorial presentations. The venue serves as a multi-disciplinary space, housing performance venues in addition to visual art galleries.
The dramatic, soaring staircase visible from the main lobby looking upward toward the skylights.
Prioritize walking the entire length of the internal ramp system to experience the changing architectural angles.
Check the performance calendar before your visit, as the venue hosts avant-garde theater and music that may affect gallery access.
Assuming the museum has a permanent collection; always check the current rotating exhibition schedule online before arriving.
Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
