The James-Simon-Galerie, the first new building on Berlin’s Museum Island in nearly 100 years, opened to the public on July 13, 2019 and acts as the new entrance building to the island. The building sits at a key location in front of or behind the Neues Museum and Pergamon Museum, complementing the interplay of spatial alignments on the island and reorientating it towards the city.
The project plays an essential role in the Museum Island master plan and links four of the five museums via the Archaeological promenade below ground (the project includes 3 above ground levels, one mezzanine, and two below ground levels). The master plan sets a framework for developing a modern museum complex while preserving the unique historical ensemble, and the James-Simon-Galerie does just that by providing a contemporary aesthetic that blends in with the surrounding museums.
Upper foyer, main internal staircase. Photo: © Ute Zscharnt for David Chipperfield Architects.
The primary façade material is cast stone. An aggregate made of white marble gravel from Saxony lends the entrance building its tonality, integrating it into the diversity of materials on Museum Island. Behind the building's columns, the envelop is glazed, and stabilized by eight-meter-high vertical façade supports, themselves made from glass.
See Also: POST Houston mixed-use development will include a five-acre “skylawn”
Inside, the structure is characterized by textured surfaces, in particular smooth in-situ concrete walls in fair-face concrete and floors made of bright Crailsheim shell limestone. The mezzanine floor and the auditorium have smoked oak parquet flooring. Bronze was used for window profiles, doors and handrails throughout the building. A copper braid was used on selected ceilings, including in the café.
Plinth and tall colonnade (92 columns). Photo: Photo: © Simon Menges.
The 10,900-sm building was designed to welcome large numbers of visitors and to house all the facilities required by contemporary museum-goers. The James-Simon-Galerie also includes divisible temporary exhibition space and a 350-seat auditorium. Outside of museum hours, a grand staircase, a terrace with café, and a new courtyard will be accessible to the public.
Revolving doors and draft lobbies help minimize heat loss despite the expected high frequency of visitors. The use of radiant building components implemented in the plant technology of the building uses thermally activated surfaces to cover the base load in heating and cooling, reducing the air volume flows. A thermally active and acoustically absorbent ceiling with a copper mesh cladding, which was used in selected areas, also has a positive effect.
Museum Island has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999 and is visited by about three million people every year.
Auditorium. Photo: © Ute Zscharnt for David Chipperfield Architects.
Temporary exhibition space. Photo: © Ute Zscharnt for David Chipperfield Architects.
View from Schlossbrücke. Photo: © Ute Zscharnt for David Chipperfield Architects.
Related Stories
Museums | May 19, 2021
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame opens after $25 million renovation
CambridgeSeven designed the project.
Wood | May 14, 2021
What's next for mass timber design?
An architect who has worked on some of the nation's largest and most significant mass timber construction projects shares his thoughts on the latest design trends and innovations in mass timber.
Education Facilities | May 3, 2021
Khor Kalba Turtle and Wildlife Sanctuary completes in the United Arab Emirates
Hopkins Architects designed the project.
Museums | Apr 27, 2021
GWWO Architects unveils design of the new Niagara Falls Visitor Center
The project will replace the current outdated and cramped facility.
Market Data | Feb 24, 2021
2021 won’t be a growth year for construction spending, says latest JLL forecast
Predicts second-half improvement toward normalization next year.
Museums | Jan 28, 2021
Arkansas Arts Center to undergo $142 million transformation into the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts
Studio Gang is designing the project.
Reconstruction Awards | Dec 29, 2020
The reenvisioned Sazerac House: A delectable cocktail that's just perfect for the Big Easy
The 51,987-sf Sazerac House is an interactive cocktail museum, active distillery, corporate headquarters, and event venue, all under one roof, next to the historic French Quarter of New Orleans.
Giants 400 | Dec 16, 2020
Download a PDF of all 2020 Giants 400 Rankings
This 70-page PDF features AEC firm rankings across 51 building sectors, disciplines, and specialty services.
Museums | Nov 16, 2020
Design of the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum unveiled
Reed Hilderbrand and Trahan Architects designed the project.