An art gallery and visitor centre designed by UK firm David Chipperfield Architects has opened on Museum Island in Berlin.
The 10,900 sq m James-Simon-Galerie is located on a narrow strip of land where Karl Friedrich Schinkel’s Neuer Packhof administration building stood until 1938.
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Acting as the gateway to the island, it contains exhibition spaces and an auditorium.
Named after Henri James Simon, a German entrepreneur, philanthropist and art collector, the building references other architecture on Museum Island, such as built topography, colonnades and outdoor staircases.
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The exterior is made from smooth concrete, while the inside houses reconstituted stone with natural stone aggregate.
![](https://www.globalconstructionreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ber4.png)
The exterior is made from smooth concrete, while the inside houses reconstituted stone with natural stone aggregate.
The James-Simon-Galerie has taken 20 years to finish and is the final part of the Unesco heritage listed Museum Island to be completed.
Images courtesy of David Chipperfield Architects