Martin-Gropius-Bau, Renaissance Revival museum in Kreuzberg, Germany.
The Martin-Gropius-Bau is an exhibition hall in Kreuzberg with a square footprint measuring 70 meters on each side, enclosing a courtyard adorned with mosaics and heraldic emblems. Renaissance Revival facades frame the windows with terracotta reliefs depicting crafts and industry.
Martin Gropius and Heino Schmieden erected the structure between 1877 and 1881 to house applied arts collections that remained until World War I. Heavy war damage left the shell abandoned for decades before a complete restoration in the 1980s allowed reopening.
The building's name honours Martin Gropius, great-uncle of Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius, who designed it with Heino Schmieden. The atrium's mosaics and the coats of arms of the German states on the mezzanine were made by sculptor Otto Lessing. Since 2018 the atrium has been open to anyone, with or without a ticket, and an Artists in Residence studio occupies the former lecture hall beside the entrance.
The building stands close to Potsdamer Platz and offers wheelchair access throughout all exhibition floors. Opening days run from Wednesday to Monday, and the courtyard provides a resting space between gallery visits.
The Wall ran directly in front of the main portal from 1961 to 1989, so reconstruction from 1978 moved the entrance to the southern rear side. The original north entrance was only restored in the renovations of 1998–2000. The atrium, about 40 by 30 metres and 26 metres high, has been open to visitors without an exhibition ticket since 2018.
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