The renovation of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, Germany, has been completed by British practice David Chipperfield Architects.
David Chipperfield Architects' overhaul, which began in 2012, involved refurbishing the building's ageing concrete structure and steel, glass exterior while modernising its services.
David Chipperfield has completed the Neue Nationalgalerie renovation
The studio's intervention, which it described as "surgical", preserves Mies van der Rohe's original vision for the gallery as far as possible, ensuring that any new additions are subordinate to it.
"Taking apart a building of such unquestionable authority has been a strange experience but a privilege," said the studio's founder David Chipperfield. The overhaul preserves Mie's original designs
"The Neue Nationalgalerie is a touchstone for myself and many other architects. Seeing behind its exterior has revealed both its genius and its flaws, but overall it has only deepened my admiration for Mies' vision," Chipperfield explained.
"Our work was therefore surgical in nature, addressing technical issues to protect this vision," he continued. "Certainly carrying out such a task in a building that leaves no place to hide is daunting, but we hope to have returned this beloved patient seemingly untouched except for it running more smoothly."
The building's envelope was refurbished
Completed in 1968, the Neue Nationalgalerie is one o...