The Kunshuis was inspired by the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni on Venice’s Grand Canal, which houses the Peggy Guggenheim art collection; one of the most celebrated and important museums of 20th-century European and American art. Owners Mike and Lorna Spittal reside in Monaco and travel to Riebeek Kasteel regularly as their seasonal home.

Riebeek Kasteel is a small town with a huge creative heart. Its 6 square kilometers of beautiful fields, mountain views, and quaint country roads are home to many artists, and the community’s love and reverence for art is reflected in its thriving gallery scene. The Kunshuis has found its natural home here. 

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​The art collection may be second to none, but it certainly doesn’t overshadow the incredible architecture and design. To manage the light in the gallery areas and protect the art from direct sunlight, the property was oriented to face true north, with a secondary axis to retain a street edge. Notable too are the sliding steel screens that act as shading and security and, as there is no boundary wall, help to strengthen the street edge.

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