Project: Bodemuseum (Winter Semester 2009/10)

The Expansion Project for the Bode Museum in Berlin
Xella Competition 2009/2010

Competition Brief

The task of the 7th Xella Student Competition is to design an extension for the Bode Museum in Berlin. This marks the first time the competition has focused on museum architecture, and it has chosen a highly prominent location for the project: a site on Berlin’s Museum Island. In collaboration with the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, the assignment was designed to be as realistic and specific as possible, while still offering ample room for creative ideas. The extension is intended to combine many different uses and is functionally linked directly to the Bode Museum. However, because it is located outside Museum Island, the planned new building is not bound by design specifications, as was the case, for example, with David Chipperfield’s design for the James Simon Gallery. Rather, the planned extension for the Bode Museum can and should develop its own distinct architectural language—similar to architect Pei’s extension for the German Historical Museum—and thus serve as another attraction in Berlin’s historic city center. Functionally, the competition brief can be divided into the following three areas:

1) New exhibition spaces
The main purpose of the extension is to create exhibition space where the Bode Museum’s Sculpture Collection and Picture Gallery can be displayed in an integrated manner. Until the war years, the two collections, in addition to the Bode Museum, occupied the north wing of the Pergamon Museum, both of which were connected by a bridge. In the future, this north wing of the Pergamon Museum will be used by the Museum of Islamic Art, which is why the necessary space can only be found in the planned extension. A bridge-like connecting passageway will link the extension to the Bode Museum, and the collection will be reorganized and distributed across the two buildings. In the extension, the presentation style already in use at the Bode Museum—a harmonious combination of paintings and sculptures—will be continued, just as Wilhelm von Bode had envisioned for the two collections. The Bode Museum was designed from the outset for this exhibition concept, and the varied characteristics of the exhibition spaces—side-lit rooms on the main floor, skylight-lit halls, and side cabinets with high-set side windows on the upper floor—made it possible to present the various exhibits in the best possible way. This spatial diversity was also to be pursued in the exhibition area of the extension.

2) Adjacent Rooms
The master plan for Museum Island calls for the relocation of all non-public areas in order to create even more exhibition spaces in a central location. However, these areas to be relocated—which include the museum management and administrative offices, restoration workshops, various storage areas, warehouses, and much more—must remain in close proximity to the collection. In addition to expanding the exhibition space for the Bode Museum, the proper planning of these “ancillary spaces” is therefore a second and equally important task of the competition. Properly meeting the requirements for these spaces—particularly the storage areas and restoration workshops—is crucial for the smooth operation of the museum’s day-to-day activities and is therefore also an important evaluation criterion for the competition jury.

3) New Spaces for the Museum as a “Place to Be”
The museum has increasingly become a popular “place to be” and also serves as an event venue or theater stage. For example, the Neue Nationalgalerie at Berlin’s Kulturforum has become the traditional venue for the annual ZDF Summer Festival, and the Column Hall in the Neue Gemäldegalerie at the Kulturforum is often repurposed as a runway for fashion events. Museum galleries and entrance halls are used for major exhibition openings or rented out for private receptions, celebrations, award ceremonies, and the like. The Pergamon Altar in the Pergamon Museum serves as a venue for special musical events, and the still-empty halls of the Neues Museum in Berlin were taken over by Sasha Waltz, along with 70 dancers, musicians, and singers, immediately after the completion of the reconstruction work in March 2009 for the artistic inauguration of the museum building. The small selection of examples mentioned here illustrates just how diverse the uses of museum buildings already are today. These new developments help attract new audience groups and generate new sources of revenue. The third part of the design assignment is therefore to consider further attractive uses for the new museum building and to create the spatial conditions necessary for them. Creative ideas are needed, including for event spaces, restaurants—even on the rooftop terrace—as well as the potential use of the large forecourt for performances, etc. However, these ideas must not interfere with normal museum operations or compromise the security of the exhibits.

A NEW MUSEUM FOR THE OLD MASTERS

Timo Fahrenbach, Sarah Wloka

Urban Planning
The exterior outline of the design follows the urban planning competition proposal by Auer and Weber, allowing the building to blend into the surrounding perimeter block development. The main entrance to the new building’s inner courtyard is located on the public square in front of the library and the Competence Center, creating a connection between the two outdoor spaces. Additional entrances are located at the tip of the building facing the Bode Museum and at the light rail viaduct. Recesses on the ground floor guide visitors directly to the building’s entrances. Elevations in the roof area facing the Spree and the plaza in front of the library emphasize the entrances to the inner courtyard. The urban-landscape-defining railway line is integrated into the building and extended by the new “Museumsinsel” transit stop. Passengers are granted a glimpse of the interior of the museum. The extension of the platform across the Spree enables a connection between the new building and the open spaces of Museum Island, which are to be made accessible to the public following the comprehensive renovation of the museums. A passageway is created between the extension and the railroad tracks, contributing to the enhancement of the rear viaduct side.

Building Concept The main entrance to the museum is via a terraced staircase and ramp system in the inner courtyard, which leads to the lobby on the first floor. From here, visitors can enjoy a good view of the Bode Museum and the canal. The lobby serves as a buffer zone between the individual permanent exhibitions, allowing visitors to take breaks between tours and providing access to the Bode Museum. The Coin Cabinet is located beneath the central courtyard and is designed as a “treasure chamber” with display cases embedded in solid walls. These are divided by two axes into four sections, each dedicated to a different historical period. The location and labyrinthine layout reinforce the character of the catacomb-like “gold cellar.” The temporary exhibition extends across the ground floor and basement along the passageway between the Competence Center and the new building. The partially transparent façade offers passersby ever-changing “glimpses” into the exhibition and, with its openness, contrasts with the closed façade of the Competence Center. The permanent exhibition spans the top two floors and follows the building’s shape as visitors move through it. The Bode Museum’s collection (sculpture collection) is to be displayed in the rooms on the first floor, while the top floor is reserved for the Gemäldegalerie’s collection.

’s Facade Concept The facade design is based on the idea of “making the museumvisible.” The structure, consisting of glass and asunshade suspended from it—made of finely perforatedsheet metal—allows for silhouette-like glimpses into thebuilding and ensures even, indirect lighting.Large-format prints of selected works of art representthe collections and make them visible in the urban space. The transparent appearance forms acontrast to the stone facades of the old museums.

Exhibition Concept
Load-bearing partitions follow the building’s form and structure the exhibition. The exhibits in the permanent exhibition are to be displayed in rooms of various sizes with different types of lighting. These rooms are formed between the load-bearing walls using drywall partitions, allowing for a flexible exhibition layout and enabling the creation of different visitor routes.

Sebastian Blecher (B.Eng.)
Natalie Heger (Ph.D. in Engineering)