Neue Nationalgalerie, Art museum in Kulturforum district, Berlin, Germany
Neue Nationalgalerie is a modern art museum in the Kulturforum district of Berlin-Mitte, distinguished by its glass pavilion design. Eight slender steel columns support a square roof above a glazed main hall, while additional exhibition rooms are located below ground level.
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed the building in the 1960s as the final work of his career and died one year after its opening in 1968. British architect David Chipperfield led a renovation from 2015 to 2021 that largely restored its original condition.
The name refers to the national collection of modern art and distinguishes the institution from the original gallery building on Museum Island. Visitors see paintings and sculptures from the 20th century, mostly from Germany but also including international movements such as Surrealism or abstract painting.
The entrance hall on the ground floor hosts temporary exhibitions, while the permanent collection hangs in the lower rooms. Access is provided through wide staircases and an elevator connecting all levels.
During the renovation, Chipperfield even reproduced the old carpet pattern from the opening period to preserve the atmosphere of the original design. The steel beams were individually removed, cleaned, and reinstalled with only minimal interventions made.
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