BBR / photo: Thomas Bruns.
Those of you who have been in Berlin for over a minute may recall that we actually had an equivalent of the famous MoMA in New York not so long ago, but it sort of disappeared behind. a building fence in what appears to be centuries ago. I’m talking about the Neue Nationalgalerie on Potsdamer Straße down the rue de la Philharmonie and the Kulturforum.
The famous museum had been Berlin’s main exhibition space for modern art for almost 50 years until it had to close in 2014 due to the building’s growing difficulties. The late 60s building is one of Berlin’s architectural icons, designed by former Bauhaus director Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. It is in fact the last building he designed in Europe.
BBR / photo: Thomas Bruns.
To be honest, it took me a while to appreciate the uniqueness of the building. The concept of a minimalist glass pavilion that functions as an entrance to an underground museum struck me as a bit like an odd use of space and windows when I first visited it in the early 2000s. My idea of a museum was probably more informed by the classical architecture that you will find on Museum Island. It took me a visit to the Bauhaus in Dessau to really understand the amazing concepts of modern architecture.
I remember the many visits to this location vividly, some highlights being the MoMA guest exhibit which saw long lines around the block throughout its run, as well as the Kraftwerk concerts in the Glass Pavilion afterwards. its closure.
BBR / photo: Thomas Bruns.
The renovations to the museum took a good 6 years and an impressive amount of money due to some challenges in the construction. It was produced by another iconic architectural firm: David Chipperfield Architects. You’ve probably heard of them not too long ago: they also designed the recently opened James-Simon-Gallery on Museum Island.
Due to the pandemic, the finalization of the renovations has been delayed a bit. No BER style delay, just a few months and it doesn’t matter much anyway since things are closed due to lockdown. But finally, here we are: like a phoenix from its ashes, the Neue Nationalgalerie will rise again. The reopening is scheduled for August 2021 with an exhibition of the work of American sculptor Alexander Calder. We look forward!
BBR / photo: Thomas Bruns.
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by Franc
January 12, 2021
in Art, Galleries, Tiergarten
