Colonnade Courtyard of the Old National Gallery UNESCO World Heritage Museum Island Berlin

Materiality Museum Island

The special nature of the Museum Island is made clear by its own materiality - its bedrock, as it were. The built foundation rises out of the water like a rock. Its homogeneous covering of natural stone forms a calm base surface on which the various museum architectures can be shown to their best advantage in undisturbed individuality. In our design, we let the natural stone create a slight relief, comparable to washed-up rubble or geological faults. All the fixtures of the open space develop from this relief idea and emerge from the stone - as does the vegetation. Its homogeneous covering of natural stone forms a calm ground surface on which the various museum architectures can be shown to their best advantage in undisturbed individuality. In our design, we let the natural stone create a slight relief, comparable to washed-up rubble or geological faults. All the fixtures in the open space develop from this relief idea and emerge from the stone - as does the vegetation.

Its homogeneous covering of natural stone forms a calm base surface on which the various museum architectures are shown to their best advantage in undisturbed individuality. In our design, we let the natural stone create a slight relief, comparable to washed-up rubble or geological faults. All the fixtures in the open space develop from this relief idea and emerge from the stone - as does the vegetation.

Monument protection

The redesign of the colonnade courtyard must both meet the demands of an inner-city open space and do justice to the significance of the listed garden. Thus, the arrangement of paved areas and green spaces still develops from the original ground plan figure of the courtyard. Furthermore, great importance was attached to the handling of preserved building fabric: the previously stored four-pass fountain was rebuilt in front of the flight of steps of the National Gallery. Existing slab material from the courtyard design of 1880 was integrated into the laying pattern of the path surfaces and supplemented with the same, historically common type of stone, Striegauer granite from Poland.

Thus, the arrangement of paved areas and green spaces continues to develop from the original ground plan figure of the courtyard. Furthermore, great importance was attached to the treatment of preserved building fabric: the previously stored four-pass fountain was rebuilt in front of the staircase of the National Gallery. Existing slab material from the courtyard design of 1880 was integrated into the laying pattern of the path surfaces and supplemented with the same, historically common type of stone, Striegauer granite from Poland.

Locations

Within the historic ground plan, our design reinterprets the original courtyard design through the formulation of the paved areas and the character of the vegetation. The roadway and sidewalk are no longer marked by height differences, but by different impacts of the granite as small pavers or as large-format slabs. The height difference is now laid between the pavement and the vegetation. In this way, all paved areas are barrier-free and dedicated to strolling and walking.

The roadway and sidewalk are no longer marked by height differences, but by different impacts of the granite as small pavers or as large-format slabs. The height difference is now laid between the pavement and the vegetation. In this way, all paved areas are barrier-free and dedicated to strolling and pleasure walks.

Planting

The planting differentiates between the course of the National Gallery and the lateral areas at the Neues Museum and along the Spree. What in the center are cut boxwood slices on a lawn, becomes laterally a uniformly low plant carpet - again of boxwood - with geometric recesses.

Different varieties of this woody species create a subtle play of green tones. The aromatic scent of its leaves fills the air and transports visitors to Arcadian realms. In the recesses, ivy and ground-covering perennials form the base for sculptures and trees. They create further variations in leaf shape and colour. At the same time, their tall flowers, which change over the seasons, contrast excitingly with the austerity of the cut surfaces.

What are in the center cut boxwood slices on a lawn, becomes laterally a uniformly low plant carpet - again from boxwood - with geometric recesses.

Different varieties of this woody species create a subtle play in shades of green. The aromatic scent of its leaves fills the air and transports visitors to Arcadian realms. In the recesses, ivy and ground-covering perennials form the base for sculptures and trees. They create further variations in leaf shape and colour. At the same time, their tall flowers, which change over the seasons, contrast excitingly with the austerity of the cut surfaces.

Sculptures

As in the old garden, bronze sculptures were arranged in the green spaces according to their effect, the "Amazone" by Louis Tuaillon even in its original location.

Lighting

The museum buildings are illuminated on all sides by a neutral white light and thus presented physically in their respective materiality - comparable to moonlight. Architectural accents such as porticoes and colonnades are highlighted and their depth emphasised by a warm white light colour. The lighting of the open spaces traces the layout of the garden. The luminaires are integrated as far as possible into the architecture and fixtures, their beam geometries avoiding the glare of visitors and passers-by. The illuminance levels are reduced to a minimum in order to preserve the darkness as an atmospheric quality of the Museum Island.

Architectural accents such as porticoes and colonnades are highlighted and their depth emphasised by a warm white light colour. The lighting of the open spaces traces the layout of the garden. The luminaires are integrated as far as possible into the architecture and fixtures, their beam geometries avoiding the glare of visitors and passers-by. The illuminance levels are reduced to a minimum in order to preserve the darkness as an atmospheric quality of the Museum Island.

back to overview to the time shades

1. Materiality Museum Island
2. Monument protection
3. Locations
4. Planting
5. Sculptures
6. Lighting