2016 - News - Detail Page - Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz

Due to the pandemic, the key handover event will take place purely digitally without guests and press representatives: in the presence of Minister of State for Culture Monika Grütters, State Secretary for Building Anne Katrin Bohle, the President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation Hermann Parzinger, the President of the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR) Petra Wesseler and the Director General of the National Museums in Berlin Michael Eissenhauer. The architect David Chipperfield will be connected via video. The event, which will be moderated by Liane von Pein and accompanied by members of the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, is available on YouTube (from 29 April, 11 a.m. www. smb.museum/livestream-nng).

The open days that were supposed to follow are unfortunately not possible at the moment due to the pandemic. They are now planned for 28 to 30 May 2021.

Minister of State for Culture Monika Grütters emphasises: "With its large, light-flooded hall and the exhibition rooms in the basement, Mies van der Rohe's architectural icon now shines in new splendour. With its unique design, but even more so with its spectacular contents, the Neue Nationalgalerie will once again become a crowd-puller at the Kulturforum in Berlin from August onwards. After the Humboldt Forum and the Staatsbibliothek Unter den Linden, we have succeeded in completing this important cultural construction site in the heart of our capital despite the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. All those involved, the BBR and the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, deserve great thanks for this - especially David Chipperfield's architectural office, which designed and supervised the faithful restoration of the building with care and great attention to detail."

State Secretary for Building Anne Katrin Bohle explains: "With the Neue Nationalgalerie, which opened in 1968, Mies van der Rohe created a universal beacon of classical modernism towards the end of his life's work. His architecture creates spatial freedom in its purest form. His buildings are use-neutral solitaires. Function is subordinate to form. Mies van der Rohe's work paved the way for an entire generation of architects. I am delighted that the Federal Building Administration is today handing over to the National Museums in Berlin for further use a building that has been completely renovated and is so important worldwide."

Built between 1965 and 1968, the Neue Nationalgalerie at Berlin's Kulturforum is a world-class architectural icon and the culmination of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's life's work. The building was completely refurbished by the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR) on behalf of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. David Chipperfield Architects Berlin was commissioned with the planning.

SPK President Hermann Parzinger: "As much Mies as possible - that was the brief we set ourselves, and how magnificently it has been realised! The Temple of Art has regained its transparency, its flowing space, and the cityscape has been brought closer through the new windows. The aesthetics of order can be experienced again. The modern lightness and the classical heaviness harmonise again in a fantastic way. The Neue Nationalgalerie is back, and it looks just as Mies conceived it. It by no means hides the traces of its years, the statement of its repaired architecture makes it fresher than ever. For the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, the National Museums in Berlin and the Nationalgalerie, this refurbishment sets new standards. We are taking over a building that also imposes demands on us for the programme. This fine general refurbishment was excellent teamwork - by the museums on the one hand, David Chipperfield Architects, BBR and the State Monuments Office on the other. I would like to thank everyone involved, especially the Minister of State for Culture, Monika Grütters, and the Bundestag Budget Committee for their financial support."

Architect David Chipperfield: "Dismantling a building of such unimpeachable authority was a strange experience, but a privilege. The Neue Nationalgalerie has set standards for my work and that of many other architects. Looking behind the façade revealed both its genius and its flaws, but only increased my admiration for Mies' vision. Our work was therefore surgical in nature. It dealt with technical issues to protect his vision. Such an endeavour, in a building where you can't hide anything, is intimidating, but we hope to have released the patient seemingly untouched - only in much better condition."

Petra Wesseler, President of the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning, which is responsible for project management, emphasises: "The basic refurbishment of the Neue Nationalgalerie was an extraordinary project. Under the guiding principle of 'as much Mies as possible', those involved took on the challenge of carefully harmonising the preservation of historical monuments with the requirements of contemporary museum operations and preserving the architectural legacy of Mies van der Rohe. They have managed this interplay of preservation and renewal brilliantly." She hands over the symbolic key to Michael Eissenhauer, Director General of the National Museums in Berlin, who explains: "This is an extremely happy day for the National Museums in Berlin. With the Neue Nationalgalerie, an architectural jewel is returning to the circle of our museums. After more than six years of construction-related closure, our visitors will once again be able to experience our world-famous collection of modern art in one of the most beautiful exhibition venues in the world from 22 August."

The third and final construction phase at the Neue Nationalgalerie - the interior fit-out of the building - was completed in spring 2021. The exhibition hall and interior areas have been restored from the ground up and over 35,000 restored original components, such as the natural stone slabs made of Striegau granite, lights, railings and wooden panels, have been reinstalled. These had previously been carefully dismantled, inventoried, stored and restored during the first construction phase of the basic restoration.

In the upper exhibition hall alone, 1,600 square metres of new glass were installed, a new coating was applied to 15,000 square metres and 500 weld seams on the steel structure were renovated. 800 existing ceiling lights were converted to LED technology, 196 ceiling grids and 2,500 square metres of natural stone slabs were reinstalled.

To ensure that the Neue Nationalgalerie meets today's technical requirements in terms of air conditioning, fire protection and safety, the entire technical building equipment was also renewed, such as the underfloor heating, the ventilation system and the basic pipework system in the floor slab.

To restore the exhibition tour planned by Mies van der Rohe, the museum shop and cloakroom were rearranged in the basement as part of the general refurbishment. In place of the depot rooms previously located inside the gallery, the new rooms for the painting and sculpture depot were created on the east side on around 600 square metres, below the terrace, as well as new technical areas on around 300 square metres. The new sequence of rooms also offers logistical advantages for the delivery of artworks. In future, there will be a direct connection from the exhibition preparation room to the depot. Previously, the works of art had to be transported through the exhibition rooms to the painting depot.

Additional information

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (born 1886 in Aachen, died 1969 in Chicago) was one of the most important architects of modernism. The Neue Nationalgalerie, which was built on the Berlin Kulturfo-rum from 1965 to 1968, is the only building to be erected in Germany according to his plans after the Second World War.

No comprehensive refurbishment has been carried out since the building opened in 1968. As a result, significant safety deficiencies have become increasingly apparent in the daily operation of the building and its usability has recently been noticeably restricted due to increasing damage. The damage and defects had reached such an extent that not only the structural substance was threatened, but also operational safety was acutely jeopardised. After repeated bridging measures, the danger to visitors and artefacts no longer allowed the gallery to continue operating. The Neue Nationalgalerie had to be closed to the public at the end of 2014.

This was followed by around a year of clearing the building, which included the removal of over 1,400 high-quality and unique paintings and sculptures to interim storage facilities specially set up for this purpose. Before the art objects could be packed and transported, they had to be secured by restorers. In addition, workstations for employees of the Neue Nationalgalerie had to be set up and equipped elsewhere.

The first phase of the construction work began in spring 2016. This included the laying of pipes, measures to remove pollutants and the demolition of building components not worthy of protection. An important aspect of the entire refurbishment was that the original interiors and materials were retained in order to honour the building's heritage value as an "icon of modernism". An essential part of this phase was therefore the dismantling of around 35,000 individual components, such as lights, wooden fixtures and doors, which had to be reinstalled. All the pieces were therefore carefully removed, mapped, inventoried and stored.

In mid-2017, the actual restoration of the structure began in the house, which had been stripped back to its shell. This second major phase of the project included the extensive renovation of the extremely damaged reinforced concrete in the existing building, including the demolition and new construction of the walls of the sculpture garden in the outdoor area, before the final and third phase began in mid-2018 with the interior work and reassembly of the removed original parts. At the same time, work on the outdoor facilities, commissioning and initial furnishing of the building began in 2020. Construction was completed at the end of March 2021.

Press kit

• Handover of the keys
• Data sheet
• Open days
• Exhibition preview
• Renovation of an architectural icon
• Weseley publication
• NNG Elements
• Euroboden

Further information

• Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning
• Blog of the National Museums in Berlin
• SPK magazine on the Kulturforum
• Dossier Kulturforum

Press photos

• Press photos
• Press photos at the BBR (Thomas Bruns)
• Press photos at the BBR (Marcus Ebener)