Basic refurbishment of the "book ship" at the Kulturforum
News from 02/12/2026
Scharoun's listed architectural icon urgently needs to be renovated - the building will be closed to users from 2030.
The urgently needed refurbishment of the "Bücherschiff" at the Kulturforum can begin. The building will close from 2030. Prior to this, 5.4 million books must be relocated and preparatory measures carried out. This also includes the remediation of the so-called book tower, which houses the stacks. The building will then be remodelled into a modern, sustainable and even more user-friendly library.
Marion Ackermann, President of the SPK, explains: "The aim is to save a listed architectural icon that is in urgent need of refurbishment and make it fit for the future."
The Staatsbibliothek and the Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut are housed in the building known as the "Bücherschiff" on Potsdamer Straße. The building with its famous reading landscape, also known from Wim Wenders' film "The Sky Over Berlin", is a listed building. It is one of the most important and largest cultural buildings in Germany, built between 1967 and 1978 according to plans by the philharmonic architect Hans Scharoun with significant input from Edgar Wisniewski.
After more than 40 years of intensive use, the building fabric and almost all the technical systems of the listed building need to be completely renovated. This will also make the building significantly more energy efficient. The basic refurbishment is also particularly urgent due to the building's pollution levels.
The design by gmp Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner will open up the building towards Potsdamer Platz, which also includes a new entrance on the east side of the building. In addition, different types of study zones, more common areas and catering facilities will be created.
With around 114,000 square metres of floor space, the Staatsbibliothek Haus Potsdamer Straße is roughly twice as large as the Neue Nationalgalerie, the Philharmonie and the berlin modern, which is currently under construction, put together. As the project is very complex and logistically demanding, the building is expected to remain closed for around eleven years, until 2041. During the entire construction period, all of the State Library's books will remain available to readers via the lending desk in the Unter den Linden building.
Extensive preparatory measures will take place even before the library closes in 2030: Around 5.4 million books will be distributed to four other locations. 650 employees will move to other workplaces. Other locations of the State Library will be upgraded and a new replacement building will be erected. The Ibero-American Institute will continue to operate in this replacement building, where it will also offer a limited number of reading places.