A refurbishment of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s celebrated Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin’s Kulturforum has been completed to a design by UK practice David Chipperfield Architects.
Van der Rohe’s steel and glass structure was completed in 1968, and is his only European work built after his emigration to the US. The 13,900 sq m gallery has been in continuous use since then, so the upgrade aimed to restore its fabric and upgrade its systems while keeping the appearance as unchanged as possible.
The air-conditioning, lighting, security, cloakroom, café, shop, disabled access and art handling were all modernised, the building’s reinforced concrete shell was repaired, and the stone cladding and all interior fittings were removed and modified where necessary.
David Chipperfield Architects said in a press release that care was taken to make additions to the building as "discreetly legible as contemporary elements".
Images courtesy of David Chipperfield Architects
