Back to Stüler: Colonnades on Museum Island Berlin to be restored to their original state - final part of construction work begins
Press release from 06/03/2020
The final part of the restoration of the original condition of Stüler's 19th-century colonnade, which characterises Berlin's Museum Island in a special way, is currently underway with the installation of a temporary ship guidance system on the bank wall of the Spree.
As part of the construction work, the colonnades have to be enclosed and a working plateau, some of which projects two metres over the bank wall, has to be erected. As part of this, the floating stabiliser has now been anchored, which is necessary as impact protection for the ships during the construction period.
The actual construction work concerns the northern section of the colonnades. They were added in 1911 to create additional space and supplemented in 1957 by a head building. Until recently, these rooms were used by the sculpture restoration workshop of the Alte Nationalgalerie, which has now found its new, highly professional home in the Bode Museum. The two-storey fixtures will now be removed and the columns will be exposed and restored.
The colonnade will play a very special role in the renovation of the Pergamon Museum in a few years' time: After completion of construction phase A and during the refurbishment of the south wing (construction phase B), visitors will be guided to the Pergamonmuseum via this passageway. Visitors will then enter the Pergamonmuseum via the colonnade walkway, separated from the construction site traffic.
Coordination with the State Monuments Office plays a major role in the clearance and restoration of the colonnade structure. The work is expected to be completed in 2022. They will contribute to the realisation of the Museum Island master plan with its concept of open spaces, according to which the buildings on the island will be connected by courtyards and colonnades and joined together to form a unique ensemble. The colonnade courtyard is a special place to spend time in the historic centre of Berlin, even outside museum opening hours.