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Neue Nationalgalerie
Steel 02
Mies Research
Concept and Editing:
Therese Mausbach (head), Kaye Geipel und Sebastian
Redecke Glass 10 Sebastian Redecke, Kaye Geipel
Stone 18
Contributors to this edition: Krysta Brown-Ippach, Josepha
Landes, Martin Lutz, Natalie Scholder, Bernhard Schulz,
Achim Stiegel, Christoph Tempel, Ian Pepper, Karin Wilhelm,
Wooden Fixtures 26
Marie Bruun Yde Cloakroom and Bookshop 28
Design: Double Standards, Berlin
Wallpaper, Carpeting, Cassettes 31
Editorial Office: Seating Machines 33
Bauwelt
Bauverlag BV GmbH Linoleum, not Synthetics 34
Schlüterstraße 42, D-10707 Berlin The Neue Nationalgalerie is, in itself, the quintessential steel-and-glass
In the Anker Archive 35
Telefon: +49 (0) 30 884106-0 temple. It stands emblematically for clarity and elegance in architecture.
E-Mail: vorname.nachname@bauwelt.de Ladies and Gentlemen 36
www.bauwelt.de The powerful, push-to-the-limit experiences of its construction sparked
The Administration 40
Editor-in-chief: Boris Schade-Bünsow Tables 42
a wealth of building historical and architectural philosophical interpreta-
Deputy Editor-in-chief: Kaye Geipel
Doors 43 tions that have fascinated for over fifty years. With this late work in
Editorial Team: Ulrich Brinkmann, Benedikt Crone, Beatrix
Museum designs by Mies van der Berlin in 1968, Mies van der Rohe finally became one of the greats of mod-
Flagner, Jan Friedrich, Kirsten Klingbeil, Josepha Landes,
Therese Mausbach, Sebastian Redecke, Florian Thein, Rohe 45 ernism. Over the course of many years of demanding, and now completed,
Marie Bruun Yde, freie Mitarbeit: Sebastian Spix
restoration work by David Chipperfield Architects – carried out with
Publisher: numerous surveyors, specialist planners, specialist firms and manufac-
Bauverlag BV GmbH
Postfach 120, D-33311 Gütersloh turers – a comprehensive insight into this building has been revealed,
www.bauverlag.de
Managing Director: Michael Voss
to which this booklet is dedicated. After almost ten years of inspection,
analysis, execution planning and implementation of the project, the build-
Coordination:
dice communications ing presents itself differently today – more complex and contradictory –
Rainer Homeyer-Wenner
than the overall appearance of the large temple grounds with its eight steel
Reproduction: highlevel GmbH, Berlin pillars would suggest. The details behind the individual building elements,
Printing: Bösmann Medien und Druck
GmbH & Co. KG, Detmold the finishing and the furnishings slide more clearly into focus. But, cer-
Cover: Symbols, Drawing List, Development Re List, 1965.
tainly, the most important aspect of the extensive refurbishment is the glass
Detail. Copy of original Construction Drawing A1. Pencil on façade of the great hall. The manifold problems of the original façade,
acetate, ca. 32 x 44 in.
Mies van der Rohe Archive. © 2021. The Museum of Modern including glass breaks, heavy condensation and corrosion on the post-
Art, New York/Scala, Florence.
and-beam construction, had been discussed for decades. For this specific
task, a solution was found that largely remedied the deficiencies while
Partner
altering the familiar appearance of the hall as little as possible. In addition
to the approach taken to the large glass surfaces, the refurbishment of
the steel structure and the stone slabs are the two central topics in this
issue. But, in fact, many small details, some of them influenced by American
construction in the 1960s, also became apparent. Decisions had to be
made on these. They range from the door handles, the recreated wash-
stands with specially adapted fittings, the treated furniture styles in
brown oak veneer to the traditionally patterned bouclé carpeting and
new suspended ceilings in the exhibition halls, which had previously been
simply screwed to wooden slats. All of these details had been decided
upon at the time by Mies van der Rohe and his assistants. Clear guidelines,
really, but it turns out that work in Berlin was not always done according
to these guidelines. The restoration brought to light some astonishing
things, and not every decision that had been made in Chicago could be
fathomed. Mies van der Rohe‘s construction plans, which are kept at the
MoMA, together with many documents and protocols for the implementa-
tion, turned out to be a decisive find. With a joint effort of all parties in-
is a format that appears in loose succession. This selec-
tion of topics and partners is carried out by the Bauwelt volved, the appropriate solution emerged. The temple maintains its aura.
editorial office. Bauwelt Einblick „Neue Nationalgalerie“
will be published on 30 April 2021 on the occassion of the
ceremonial handing over the keys. Bauwelt Einblick 1
Steel 2 Bauwelt Einblick Bauwelt Einblick 3
It‘s about time you came
home.
Bernd Cailloux, The Business Year 1968/69
... this was written on April 5, 1967. Mies van der Rohe had traveled from steel pivot bearings. In a later step, the roof was spray galvanized and
Chicago to West Berlin once more to witness one of the most exciting painted a matte black. The barely perceptible connection of the pillars with
events now being prepared in the course of implementing his plans for a the widely protruding roof body create the
20th-century gallery on Kemperplatz. After several attempts at the begin- impression that this colossal steel component still floats above the un-
ning of the 1960s, West Berlin‘s Building Senator Rolf Schwedler, his Senate supported glass cube of the upper exhibition level.
Building Director Werner Düttmann and others had succeeded in winning Indeed, it had always been this performative act of building that made
over the architect, who had been awarded numerous honorary doctorates Mies van der Rohe‘s architectural-aesthetic thinking evident. In the later
by German technical universities since the 1950s, for the new construction years of his work, his approach was based on perfecting the aesthetic in-
of the exhibition building, now named the Neue Nationalgalerie, located terpretation of the potentialities of steel and glass in construction, which
not far from the border checkpoints in the eastern part of the city. Even he had wanted to see realized in an architectural „skin-and-bone structure“
the foundation stone had been laid in the presence of Mies van der Rohe in since the 1920s.
1965, and after a two-year construction period, the technologically chal- In this way, the Nationalgalerie still presents itself to visitors today as a
lenging erection of the expansive unit of the square, honeycomb-like steel structure that seems to take repose weightlessly and willfully on an ele-
roof structure assembled on the ground was set to begin. This rectangular, vated plateau. And yet the beautiful appearance belies the constructional
modular roof slab made of exposed steel plate girders was now intended and static elements of a spatial configuration that nevertheless requires
to close off the windowed upper hall level of the 50-by-50-meter so-called the structural logic of a sophisticated, reinforced-concrete substructure.
pavilion. And so, on a cold April day interspersed with snow showers, the One may suspect it upon entering the stylobate-like granite platform,
65-by-65-meter broad, 1.80-meter-high, 1,260-ton steel roof framework which can be reached above the surrounding street level via three flights
slid slowly upwards on synchronously controlled hydraulic jacks in a pro- of stairs and which hints at shifts in the terrain. For just below the re-
cess lasting more than nine hours. With this lifting process, the eight cessed, more-than-8.4-meter-high glass cube lies a kind of foyer that is
steel, slightly conical cross pillars on the outer rims of the square sides of reachable by descending two symmetrically arranged interior staircases.
the roof settled into their grooves underneath the roof structure. Finally, From here, the axially arranged museum and exhibition halls open up into
in another seven-hour lowering process, the welded cassette roof could a series of rooms with various functional areas. This is how one finally arrives
be placed on the narrowly profiled cross pillars and their upper, interposed at the large, more than 2,000-square-meter main room for the presentation
Text Karin Wilhelm
Reflected ceiling plan of the
exhibition hall, detail, 1965.
Copy of the original sheet A13,
pencil on acetate, 32 x 44 in.
Mies van der Rohe archive,
invnr. MR6204.16.
© The Museum of Modern Art,
New York/Scala, Florence.
Centerfold image Steel, p. 2-3.
© BBR / Marcus Ebener.
4 Bauwelt Einblick Bauwelt Einblick 5
And so the steel roof framework slid slowly
upwards on synchronously controlled
hydraulic jacks in a process lasting more
than nine hours.
of artifacts, a room vaguely defined by free-standing walls and – by means
of a wall of windows set in narrow steel profiles – opens up a view into a
hortus conclusus, namely, the sculpture garden enclosed by granite-cov-
ered concrete walls. As in the upper pavilion, it is the material combination
of the seemingly delicate steel profiles and the large glass panes clamped
between them that creates an effect of immateriality that so dazzlingly
transforms the constructional, material-intensive foundations of the build-
ing. Even the modular arrangement of the sheathed pillars of reinforced
concrete in front of the well-lit sculpture garden alone hints at the struc- View from the sculpture gar-
den, 1968.
tural specifications on which this well-structured architectural ensemble
© Reinhard Friedrich / bpk /
actually rests. Zentralarchiv, SMB.
Meanwhile, this fact has become once again apparent through the sub-
stantial restoration measures that had become necessary after more
than 50 years, which were carried out by the office of David Chipperfield
Architects. Chipperfield, who has been regarded as a kind of Lord Privy
Seal keeper of the fine Schinkel traditions since the reconstruction of the Details of a steel pillar, 1968.
© Reinhard Friedrich / bpk.
Neues Museum on Berlin‘s Museuminsel, had already confessed in an
interview ten years ago that to him, Mies van der Rohe‘s Neue National-
galerie was a highly valued cultural asset of the modern era. This high
esteem, in turn, became the justification for a lengthy, extremely delicate
restoration of the building at today’s Kulturforum, which the office has
been carrying out since 2015. In a kind of archaeological inventory, the ar-
chitectural structures, material connections and the resulting aesthetic
effects of the interior design become once again evident with the radical
Hydraulic lifting of the steel
roof, April 5, 1967.
© Landesarchiv Berlin, Photo
Ludwig Ehlers.
6 Bauwelt Einblick Bauwelt Einblick 7
uncovering of the shell. The basement, which supports the terrace with
the pillarless steel and glass hall, is revealed as a robust structure that –
with the help of reinforced concrete walls, 105 modular reinforced con-
crete pillars and the reinforced concrete cassette ceiling on top of them –
reinforces the stability of the superimposed square floors. With the un-
derlying load-bearing system exposed, the mighty, monumental-looking
reinforced concrete columns (1.20 x 1.20 meters in cross-section) now View from the sculpture gar-
become conspicuous. These columns, like some of the walls, accommo- den, November 2018.
date the cross-shaped steel supports and the seemingly floating steel © BBR / Thomas Bruns.
roof of the upper exhibition level. Their dimensioning, expanding into a
capital zone, finally reveals the foundations of a tectonics that represents
the „inevitably earthbound nature of construction“ (Kenneth Frampton)
and yet, in the scenography of an effortless steel structure, transforms
this nature like an optical illusion.
The architecture of the Neue Nationalgalerie will continue to distinctively
represent this effect of architectonics of enclosed emptiness even after
the restoration measures. This is because Chipperfield‘s office has taken
a well-considered and sensitive approach when performing the necessary
interventions to the structure of the building. For example, the thermally
induced movements of the delicate steel profiles for the glass walls must
be partially absorbed by modified façade posts, but in such a way that
they „do not visually differ from the other existing posts“ (Jochen Schindel).
In this appreciation of the form that Mies van der Rohe composed from
the structural peculiarities of the materials, particularly the graphite-black
steel, the restoration concept preserves this masterpiece of architectural
modernism in its monochrome, cool elegance. The exhibition building that
in 1968 still sat isolated on a section of the demolished north-south axis
planning (1937) now stands out encouragingly from the irritating cacopho-
ny of the Kulturforum buildings surrounding it as a site and symbol of re-
flective silence.
View from the south side into
the hall.
© Schnepp Renou.
inevitably earthbound nature of con-
struction
Kenneth Frampton
Column with details, excerpt.
Black-and-white copy of the
original sheet A18.
© The Museum of Modern
Art, New York/Scala, Florence.
8 Bauwelt Einblick Bauwelt Einblick 9
Glass 10 Bauwelt Einblick Bauwelt Einblick 11
The recasting is convincing
in its high degree of trans-
parency.
One of the biggest problems of the general refurbishment project was solved constructively through repair. Designing the appropriate detailed
the steel-and-glass construction that encloses the large exhibition hall. solution poses a special architectural and engineering challenge – but the
Not well thought out in terms of construction, the original substance, and solution found can rarely be generalized or repeated.
especially the glazing, had been damaged over the years as a result of The restoration of the metal-glass façade of the Neue Nationalgalerie
thermally induced deformations of the steel profiles and condensation. A had to face two main challenges. Extending more than fifty meters each,
solution to this was proposed that knowingly does not eliminate all of the the existing façade had no way to accommodate thermal expansion. Con-
problems, but preserves the integrity of the architecture. The details of straints and distortions in the steel structure had caused the glass panes
the renewed façade continue throughout the building. to break and be replaced at an early stage. The problem was exacerbated
“God is in the details.” 1 In Mies van der Rohe‘s architecture, the con- by the fixed coupling of the façade corner posts to the roof frame, whose
structive detail is an expression of a superordinate system and denotes deformations due to wind loads and thermal expansion were directly
a universally valid solution. Because of this claim, detailed solutions by transmitted to the façade structure. Added to this were deficiencies in
Mies can be replicated; they build upon an industrial logic. the workmanship, such as the use of metallurgically inadequate steels,
And yet, in the early sixties, Paul Rudolph had already written that the poorly welded cross-sections on some of the profiles or an irregular paint
compelling clarity of Mies‘ designs had its price in the awareness that not finish with embedded debris. From a constructional physics standpoint,
all problems were solved.2 And although Mies had found an exemplary the façade was already no longer state-of-the-art at the time of con-
formal expression for the building materials of his time, glass and metal, struction. Thermally unseparated steel profiles and single glazing also led
John Winter noted with disappointment as early as the start of the 1970s to high heat losses and, in the cold months, to a high level of condensation
that the craftsmanship often failed to live up to the myth of structural on the inside. Since the design did not offer any air and vapor resistance,
honesty. 3 Finally, with calls for a postmodern age, references were made the air moisture could penetrate through gaps into the cavities of the con-
– not without malice – to the structural damage and defects that soon struction, where it led to corrosion on the cold metal parts.
became visible.4 The repair of the façade that has since been carried out is character-
Just as in craftsmanship, whenever wear or damage is repaired by tar- ized by the fact that the structural and physical deficiencies of the exist-
geted intervention, a detail is created that deviates from the logic of in- ing structure were weighted differently and a balanced solution was
dustrial production. It is a very specific, situational challenge that can be found with regard to design and spatial effect. It has not imposed upon
Text Andreas Putz
Glass wall of the hall with de-
tails, excerpt. Black-and-white
copy of the original sheet A17.
© The Museum of Modern Art,
New York/Scala, Florence.
Centerfold image Glass, p. 10-11.
© Schnepp Renou.
12 Bauwelt Einblick Bauwelt Einblick 13
the structure what would have been deemed necessary and technically application and was sprayed on using the low-pressure method to achieve
possible based on current knowledge. 5 an irregular finish, so that the brush structure of the second base coat
The four corner posts were decoupled from the roof structure and the shone through slightly.
roof movements were absorbed elastically. To stabilize these posts, in The different surface coatings on the outside and inside are very similar
contrast to the remaining posts, the panes of the two sections adjacent in appearance and largely similar to the first version. A detailed consider-
to the corner were structurally bonded and thus statically stiffened. ation can also be observed with regard to the architectural problems of
Every third post of the façade surfaces was replaced and structurally de- the façade. In order to prevent the formation of condensation in the steel
signed so that expansions would be sufficiently absorbed. The external components, for instance, glazing rebate, profile fillers and structural at-
geometry of the existing posts and beams was exactly replicated so that tachments were sealed in a concealed but maintainable manner with
the replacement is not noticeable at first glance. But in fact, the new ex- elastic bonding, foil inserts and specially manufactured fittings to provide
The damage resulted from the deforma- pandable posts are complex structures of mechanical engineering, an airtight and vapor-tight seal. Although it had been investigated in order
whose halves have each been manufactured out of a single piece using a to reduce heating losses heating energy losses, a two-pane insulating glazing
tions of the steel structure and cannot be 3D CNC milling machine. To accommodate the horizontal longitudinal ex- with thermally separated profiles was not used. This albeit pragmatic
blamed on the glass pansion, the lateral steel cross-sections, which appear as frame profiles, solution would have resulted in an extensive loss of the existing structure.
are mounted on sliding bearings and no longer firmly connected to the Significantly wider profiles and a doubling of the glass reflection would
load-bearing center section of the posts. This can be seen on the outside have destroyed the external and internal spatial effects of the exhibition
by its extremely narrow joints. From a structural standpoint, however, this hall. But the extensive preservation of the original steel components and
Corner posts in the hall, inside means that the post’s center section is no longer laterally stabilized. the forgoing of insulating glazing meant that the hall would not meet the
and outside.
Strong compression springs concealed inside the structure have now current energy-saving regulations and that condensation would continue
© BBR / Marcus Ebener.
taken on the task of keeping the posts elastically stretchable in the cen- to cloud the inside of the panes on certain days.
ter position. The brightness and transparency of the almost suspended-looking
Although the new posts are not quite as sharp-edged as the original room enclosure is essential for creating the dual impression of a closed,
components, it was possible to avoid round profile corners using currently well-lit hall and open space under a protective roof. Although the new
available surface coating. As with the original profiles, it was accepted glazing, at 2.7 centimeters, is more than twice as thick as the original
that the coating thickness at the edges would be somewhat thinner and white-glass panes, the necessary recasting is convincing in its high degree
that corrosion could be expected to occur here at an earlier stage. Pre- of transparency. The original mono-panes of cast glass were not pre-
liminary investigations had shown that all of the components that were stressed and were highly susceptible to breakage, and had to be gradually
black at time of construction were originally painted with a matte black replaced over the years. “The damage resulted from the deformations of
visible finish using probably two coats of paint. The interior and, to an even the steel structure and cannot be blamed on the glass,” said Martin Reichert,
greater extent, the exterior of the building had been gone over several the office manager of David Chipperfield Architects. At the time of con-
times since its completion. Depending on the initial situation and with struction, the desired formats of 3.43 meters (exhibition hall) and 3.54
varying objectives, the surfaces of the metal elements on the roof struc- meters (permanent collection floor) in width and 5.40 meters in height
ture, supports, doors, frames, interior and exterior window profiles were were only available from a French manufacturer who still produced drawn
handled differently in the course of the general restoration. glass using the Libbey-Owens process. Since the early 1960s, the float
The original restoration goal of carefully uncovering the original version glass process developed by Alastair Pilkington began gaining international
of the interior façade structure could not be achieved due to the poor im- acceptance, allowing uniform glass ribbon widths of only 3.21 meters.
plementation of the paint finish in the upper area of the posts at the time For the later replacement glazing over a large surface area, it was there-
of construction. For the new coating, the first two layers of a two-compo- fore necessary to resort to two panes with a central silicone-sealed
nent epoxy resin-based paint were applied by low-pressure spraying. cross joint. In 2018, at the time of the new glazing, laminated safety glass
This was followed by the visible final coating of the so-called forged var- made of float glass panes in the required size could only be obtained from
nish by brush application in the style of the original surface. In the lower a Chinese manufacturer and glass finisher, which required a considerable
part of the remaining inner posts, the historical paint was exposed and logistical effort. The new glazing is a laminated safety glass made of partially
transitioned to the new coating through retouching. The total thickness pre-stressed glass panes with a rigid, three-millimeter-thick Ionoplast
of the new coating is three times as thick as the original version, which interlayer welded in the center of the pane. The existing deviations of the
did not allow for a completely invisible application of the new coating to steel posts meant that the new panes are, to a large extent, non-rectan-
the old coating. The complete uncovering and recoating of the outer sur- gular, custom-made products. A further reduction in UV transmission to
faces on the window profiles was out of the question from the beginning, protect the exhibits was not pursued out of aesthetic reasons. The re-
since there were already many thick layers of recoats here. The duction would have required a coating of the interlayer, which would have
two-component topcoat used for the exterior was unsuitable for brush appeared as a blue-violet color reflection.
14 Bauwelt Einblick Bauwelt Einblick 15
Glass from China
The renewal and repair of the metal-glass façade of the Neue National- be shortened. Only every third façade post was replaced by a newly devel- process for the glass quality and the transport of the glass from China to Ber-
galerie, though unobtrusive, is certainly visible and its steps can be re- oped form of expansion post in order to reduce the high frequency of lin. The glass manufacturer JinJing from Zibo in the Chinese province of
traced. As with the Neues Museum, David Chipperfield Architects‘ design glass breakage in the future. Shangdong was able to supply this glass via the Chinese glass finisher North-
is characterized by its intensive work with the physical material, which At the beginning of the tender for a specialist engineer, there was no solu- Glass out of Tianjin. North-Glass took over the responsibility as supplier.
does not provide an interpretation of Mies‘ design, but an engagement tion to the particular challenge of the glass façade. The idea from our office Glass from China for Ludwig Mies van der Rohe‘s iconic building. The solution
with the reality of the building. Despite claims to the contrary, the archi- was to provide a possible solution addressing the glass delivery right away to the supply of oversized glass in the original dimensions 3.43 x 5.40 for the
tectural intentions of the projects are similar: multi-layered, but consis- for use in the contract negotiation. A search among the major manufacturers hall façade and 3.54 x 3.85 meters for the basement courtyard façade had
tent and self-contained spaces that are convincing in their materiality worldwide was initially unsuccessful. Since this was a relatively small project, been found. The work on the details with David Chipperfield Architects could
and detailed design. In both cases, this intention goes hand in hand with the number of panes needed was much too low. Through Innoverre, a rela- begin. In accordance with the planning requirements, NorthGlass supplied
the demands of historic preservation, but is not motivated by historic tively small glass dealer, a glass manufacturer for these oversize dimensions the large panes as laminated safety glass in 2018, consisting of two partially
preservation. was found – probably the only one at the time. In close cooperation with this pre-stressed glass sheets, each 12 millimeters thick (total thickness including
An aesthetic that plays with the contrast of new elements and the com- glass dealer, an offer was obtained from China, including a quality assurance interlayer 27 millimeters) and weighing approximately 1.2 tons.
plexity of fragmentary components places less emphasis on the age-value
of the historical witness than on the novelty-value of the intervention.
The newly painted steel profiles, for example, stand in striking contrast to
the visibly aged bronze on the revolving doors of the main entrance. But
this interplay of old and new, which unobtrusively shines through here and
there in the Neue Nationalgalerie, is almost unintentional. The creative
power of the modern inventory is still so powerful, that it was unnecessary
for the creation of convincing spaces.
Despite all of its emptiness, silence and majesty, the exhibition hall does The restoration of the Neue Nationalgalerie is a balancing act between
not feel burdensome. After taking a moment to catch one’s breath comes preservation and renovation. The refurbishment of the façade takes up a
an unforced impulse to wander. The fact that this space can continue to be significant part of the extensive construction measures. The glass façade
experienced in this way is due to careful decision-making during the res- enclosing the exhibition hall contains 3.43-meter-wide glass sheets – di-
toration. Here, it becomes clear that the historical preservation of modernity mensions that were no longer produced in Europe at the time of planning.
is not an affirmative act. It is not about the mindless replication of long- The maximum size that can currently be produced is 3.21 meters. In addi-
gone thoughts, not about the revival of fads. Its critique lies in the preser- tion, a solution had to be found for after the restoration that allowed the
vation of modernity. It is all the more convincing when it respectfully and façade to move unconstrained within a defined framework to accommodate
supportively carries on what has already been found. thermal expansion.
Due to the unavoidable condensation and the high heat losses that would
occur if single glazing were used again, the use of double-pane insulating
glazing was examined in a feasibility study at the beginning of the façade
planning. The respective arguments were compared in terms of historic
preservation and technical specifications. It was then decided to also carry
out the refurbishment using single glass elements (monoglass). With
single glazing, the original appearance could best be preserved. Aside from
the even greater production difficulties of insulating glass panes in these
dimensions, this would have unavoidably had completely different implica-
tions in terms of historic preservation, such as regarding coloring, trans-
parency, reflection, and so on. The use of an insulating glass would also have
The four corner posts were decoupled resulted in the loss of the façade profile structures entirely. Yet the conser-
vation of the façade structure was a high priority in terms of historic preser-
from the roof structure and the roof move- vation. Because of the doubling of the pane thickness from the original 12
ments were absorbed elastically. to the current 27 millimeters, however, the depth of the glazing bead had to
Text Martin Lutz, Jochen Schindel
1 Whitman, Alden: Mies van der Rohe Dies at 83; Leader of Modern Architecture. In: New The Stuttgart façade engineers from Drees & Sommer, who were commissioned with
York Times (19.08.1969), online: https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/learning/ the entire detailed planning of the façade, developed a special expansion post for the
general/onthisday/bday/0327.html. Neue Nationalgalerie hall. The task of this post is to absorb the movements of the sup-
2 Paul Rudolph: Paul Rudolph. For Perspecta. In: Perspecta 7 (1961), S. 51-64. porting structure in the concealed area of its profile with an expansion joint. Small spring
3 John Winter: Misconceptions about Mies. In: The Architectural Review 151 (1972), S. 69. assemblies are integrated into the air- and vapor-tight construction. They react to the
4 Charles Jencks: The Language of Post-Modern Architecture, London 1977, S. 16-17. deformations and readjustments. A 3D CNC milling machine was used to mill and drill the
5 I would like to thank Martin Reichert and Michael Freytag of David Chipperfield Architects, two post halves from a single piece of solid steel. Each façade side in the hall has three
as well as Jochen Schindel of Drees & Sommer and Wolfgang Frey of ProDenkmal for the new expansion posts.
information on the restoration. Detailed drawing: Jochen Schindel, Drees & Sommer
16 Bauwelt Einblick Bauwelt Einblick 17Stone 18 Bauwelt Einblick Bauwelt Einblick 19
You couldn‘t cheat much
here.
Manfred Gebauer
The gray surface granite is of a clarity that no one can escape. It is expe- consistency and striking harmony. But is this actually the „massive stone
rienced, together with its grid pattern, as an elementary part of the com- base,“ bearing the great weight of the entire steel structure, that presents
plete works with its absolute structural austerity and ambiance; after all, it itself here? Not by a long shot. The square granite slabs of 1.20 x 1.20 meters
alone supports the entire upper hall of the Neue Nationalgalerie. have a material thickness of around a mere three centimeters. The planning
Whereas the steps of the central outer staircase on Potsdamer Straße or office for restoration and historic preservation ProDenkmal, which carried
the two higher side stairs, both adapted to the curvature of the land with out the inspection and assessment of the condition before the refurbish-
extended steps and joints at the risers, already exude a grand elegance, yet ment by David Chipperfield Architects, also dealt intensively with a total of
with a certain modesty, upon reaching the platform at the top, the immense approximately 14,000 floor and façade slabs and their restoration. Numerous
stone surface takes centerstage. This vast space does not immediately material studies were conducted in the process.
direct toward the entrance, but instead tempts the visitor to walk and look Subsequently, the company Gebauer Steinmetzarbeiten not only put up
around until one reaches the wide row of parapet stones belonging to the the exterior, but also the interior slabs as well as those in the sculpture gar-
lowered sculpture garden in the back. den, and removed all the coverings from the base – a major logistical chal-
Compared to the likely never-to-be-repaired „Piazzetta“ of the adjacent lenge, since all of the slabs had to be cataloged and coded axis by axis, then
Kulturforum between the Gemäldegalerie, the Kunstbibliothek, and the hauled away and stored temporarily in a depot for a year and a half. Stonema-
Kunstgewerbemuseum – a distressingly unremarkable and sloping entryway son Manfred Gebauer had been present during the assembly of the slabs
with numerous obstacles and even hazardous areas – Mies van der Rohe‘s at the end of the sixties and remembers meeting Mies van der Rohe during his
platform is a welcome oasis that immediately speaks for itself in its reso- visit to the construction site. At the time, he was impressed by the detailed
luteness. The Museum des 20. Jahrhunderts by Herzog & de Meuron, which knowledge the stonemason‘s son from Aachen possessed, who always
will fundamentally change not only the panoramic view from the terrace, but expected the highest precision in craftsmanship. As Gebauer once said in an
also the urban landscape, is also bound to pique the curiosity of passersby. interview: “You couldn‘t cheat much here.” Yet Wolfgang Frey of ProDenkmal
Its construction is already underway next door. noticed during the investigations that there were nevertheless minor
The foundation slabs in the exterior and interior of the Neue Nationalgal- deviations between the original work and the assembly plans.
erie do not let go of the viewer; they remain present, uniform throughout the Both the old slabs and the replacements in the terrace and walls are of
entire area, emphasizing the continuity of the space in both unwavering Striegau granite. The quarries are located near the Lower Silesian city of
Text Sebastian Redecke
Floor plan of the exhibition
hall on a scale of 1:100. Ex-
cerpt. Black-and-white copy
of the original sheet A12.
© The Museum of Modern Art,
New York/Scala, Florence.
Centerfold image Stone,
p. 18-19, standing storage of
the cataloged granite slabs in
Brandenburg, December 2016.
© Christian Martin.
20 Bauwelt Einblick Bauwelt Einblick 21Strzegom (Striegau) in Poland. It is no longer possible to determine ex- Denkmal in cooperation with the Structural Engineering Laboratory of the
actly from which of the quarries the original slabs came. The slabs of Potsdam University of Applied Sciences, the decision was made in favor
the exhibition hall and the basement are Epprechtstein granite from the of the scenario with a grit bed, a drainage mat with a separating layer and
Fichtelgebirge. The two highly visible shafts for the ventilation ducts in foam glass as insulation with a slope that had been slurried in hot bitumen.
the hall are opulently covered with a green-shaded Tinos marble (South The intention was that in case of heavy rainfall, water could drain from
Aegean serpentinite). The shaft is made of reinforced concrete on three the slab surfaces, which have a slight gradient of one degree. The com-
sides. The third side, facing the façade, is stonework. Only this side was plete restructuring was unavoidable not only because of the damage to
completely opened during the construction work to install the new the slabs, but also because the terrace for the new depot, which was built
technology. on 600 square meters in the area facing Potsdamer Straße, was directly
An analysis of the granite slabs’ condition made it clear how urgently underneath.
the restoration was needed. The floor slabs had cracks and fractures, All floor slabs were reversibly laid in their respective positions into the
and corners had broken off in some cases. The problem was that although new bedding and can therefore be removed again and again. This process
the slabs from Strzegom have a particularly high compressive strength, required particularly special care, for if a stonemason were to lay slabs
their thickness meant that they were not suitable for larger point loads, of this size today, they would have a thickness of at least eight centimeters
such as those that occur during event activities with lifting platforms or and would therefore be much more robust. Nevertheless, the decision had
when transporting heavy works of art. been made to resettle the slabs in the same place according to the code
Originally, the floor slabs lay in a mortar bed with a layer of sand un- and to replace the original slabs only in some places with those of identical
derneath. After a restoration effort in the 1980s, however, the slabs had thickness. Because of the joints, the panels have precise dimensions of
been placed onto a bed of very coarse river gravel with stones up to 1.194 x 1.194 meters. Minimal deviations from the grid can be seen in the
3.2 centimeters in size. The gravel caused additional damage because panels along the façades, where the cutouts along the corners at the steel
the bedding gave way under heavy loads and the slabs then only lay posts vary slightly.
correctly in certain areas. This resulted in puddles of water and, in win- In addition to repairing the slabs for the terrace, cleaning them was also
ter, patches of ice. The bed was therefore also redesigned as part of the included in the restoration project. To remove the firmly attached dirt en-
refurbishment project. After a study with three test scenarios by Pro- crustations – which included biogenic deposits and rubbery areas caused
View from the northwest.
© BBR / Marcus Ebener.
View of the external staircase
to the scale of 1:20, excerpt.
Black-and-white copy of the
original sheet A15.
© The Museum of Modern
Art, New York/Scala, Florence.
Analysis of the granite slabs
of the base. They have a
thickness of only a little more
than 3 cm.
© ProDenkmal.
22 Bauwelt Einblick Bauwelt Einblick 23by skateboard wear – a low-pressure particle blasting method was chosen. surface finish of the floor slabs, which could not be too smooth, according
For other areas, such as the wall slabs and the floor slabs of the sculpture to the inventory. The slabs were therefore bush-hammered. In prior tests,
garden, a high-pressure wash with hot water was subsequently used to ProDenkmal also created a sample area for this on a scale of 1:1. In general,
remove, among other things, the heavier organic growth. Removing the the pressure to conform with current building regulations was high. Every
yellowish tint of some slabs along the outer walls of the base and the detail had to be negotiated with the partners, the building contractor and
sculpture garden that had arisen due to iron hydroxide compounds, as well the approval authorities in order to find a solution that was tailored to such
as the iron corrosion caused by artwork on the floor slabs, proved to be an unusual task. For people with a physical disability, for example, a new
particularly difficult. two-degree inclined path was added parallel to the outside staircase on the
The structure of the base corresponds to the principle of a rear-venti- side facing the Landwehr Canal. For people with visual impairments, a se-
lated curtain wall façade. It was one of the first façades of this type to be ries of specially processed slabs with discreet tactile warning strips made
implemented in Germany at the end of the 1960s. The panels were mount- of slate leads up to the glass façade.
ed using fixing anchors on a concrete supporting wall with a spacing of The Neue Nationalgalerie is perceived as a building of steel and glass,
two to five centimeters. At that time, there was no information available but the base is characterized by natural stone: the gray granite so prized
regarding the grout for curtain wall panels, which had to be able to absorb by Mies van der Rohe. In 1998, the wide expanse of the slabs received a
any movements that occur. There were still remnants of grouting in the special tribute from sculptor Ulrich Rückriem. To mark its thirtieth anniver-
joints that had been used during construction as well as repair mortar that sary, he had the upper hall cleared of all additional fixtures for the first
was applied later. The elastic mortar was partially cracked. The slabs were time ever in order to install his forty floor sculptures made exclusively for
re-set with new stainless-steel anchors and grouted according to today‘s the site: granite figures with a natural split tops, which, in a grand gesture of
standards. perfection, were oriented directly onto the grid of the slabs in a checker-
The floor slabs of the hall were well-preserved compared to the exterior board fashion over the entire surface. With Rückriem, visitors no longer
slabs. A distinctive feature was not only that the same granite slabs were gazed first at the grid ceiling in amazement, as was customary, but at the
laid in a way that created a uniform image outside as well as inside, but that stone floor.
these had to meet different requirements. Another important task was the
Wall of the base along the
Sigismundstraße. Some
slabs had been replaced.
© BBR / Marcus Ebener.
Floor sculptures made of
granite by the sculptor Ulrich
Rückriem were exhibited
Testing of different cleaning for the first time in the hall
methods of the slabs at the in 1998.
delivery entrance. © Roman März / bpk /
© ProDenkmal. Nationalgalerie, SMB.
24 Bauwelt Einblick Bauwelt Einblick 25David Chipperfield was sur-
Cloakroom for 192 coats,
Wooden Fixtures
prised that simply-made
Text Therese Mausbach 96 hats. wooden constructions were
hidden among the „pieces of
the perfect Mies.“
© BBR / Marcus Ebener.
The cloakrooms are executed as frame con-
structions in pine whose posts stand without ex-
ception precisely at the cross joints of the granite
flooring. The walls are covered with a special type
of oak veneer. The type in question is English
brown oak, a variety characterized by an intense
medium-brown-to-reddish tone that is actually
caused by a fungal infestation. The parasite, the
so-called Ox-tongue mushroom, derives nourish-
ment from the tannin-rich core of the oak, and
leaves behind a reddish-brown discoloration; an
unusual look greatly in demand in the English-
speaking world, it was familiar to Mies van der
Rohe from the United States. He laid great store by
the vertical orientation of the grain. An effective
contrast to the heavy natural stone, the English Sales stand in the staircase
hall,1968. It has been dis-
brown oak orchestrated the theme of wood
mantled since the 80s, and
through its strong coloration – at least until the only a few of its parts remain
surface grew increasingly faded over time due intact.
to sun exposure. © Reinhard Friedrich / bpk /
Nationalgalerie, SMB.
Beginning in 2015, a team of conservators con-
tracted by ProDenkmal has been exploring a vari-
ety of strategies for rejuvenating the color. The
team had already worked with David Chipperfield
Architects on the Neues Museum on Museuminsel
in Berlin, and was familiar with the office’s objec-
The front of the wardrobe. tive of preserving the original substance as far as
© Ute Zscharnt /
possible, which extends to a ready acceptance of
David Chipperfield Architects.
signs of wear. In four phases, and despite diver-
gent viewpoints, they developed a restoration con- A cashier‘s desk and infor-
mation counter now stand in
cept: a cautious freshening of the color, corre- the same place.
sponding to the brightness of the veneer found on © BBR / Marcus Ebener.
When we enter the Neue Nationalgalerie the cloak room, whose wall panels project beyond conducted to the climate control center on the the less faded interior sides of the cloakrooms,
through one of the revolving doors, the steel and it on both sides. There can be little doubt that lower level. Accommodated here as well is the achieved by applying alcohol-soluble shellac with
glass façade recedes into the background. Our the personnel who work here are expected to heating circuit manifold for the new floor heating natural pigments. Perspectives ranged from a
gaze follows the granite floor, extending far be- dress smartly. system; for some mysterious reason, the original desire to preserve the faded condition of the wood
yond the exhibition hall itself, which measures 50 The open enclosure of the cloak room, 2.8 me- has long been out of commission. Found behind surface (Landesdenkmalamt Berlin), all the way
x 50 meters. The open hall is virtually empty. To ters in height, occupies precisely four granite the southernmost cloakroom is a still-functioning to support for restoring the color to its original state
be seen are only two wall pillars, clad in green slabs, each measuring 1.2 meters square. Standing freight elevator; also tailored to the dimensions of (Fritz Neumeyer, Joachim Jäger).
marble, in the background. Upon entering, we al- on the right and left, parallel to the counter, are the granite slabs, it measures 3.6 meters in length With steadily rising visitor numbers, the capaci-
so encounter two modest wooden structures two wooden walls. Prior to renovations, views into and breadth. Located on the northern side with ties of the wooden cloakrooms in the hall have long
that are set alongside the pair of staircases that this space were closed off by a dark, heavy curtain the reopening – in place of a former utility room – is since ceased to be adequate, and the restoration
lead downward to the museum level. Here, the that was positioned between the wooden walls. a passenger elevator. The black painted double- also involved converting an entire storage room
visitor is likely to pause and ponder their func- Mounted to the inner sides of the two walls at a winged steel door, found in the same form in front into an additional cloakroom. Used there – just as
tions. In design plan A 26, the architect provided height of only 1.55 meters are the garment rails. of the old freight elevator, and displaying clear in the foyer on the lower level for two new ticket
a straightforward answer: “Cloakroom for 192 The bronze alloy rods are anchored to the uprights traces of extended use, will as a rule be opened in and information counters created by David Chip-
coats, 96 hats.” of the construction via cantilever arms. Located 10 the morning and closed again in the evening, pro- perfield Architects – was brown oak from Bamberg.
These wooden constructions, symmetrically cm above the coat rod are six additional thin rods. viding access to the passenger elevator. With their In position and form, the northern counter is ori-
arranged in the upper hall (see p. 21), literally guide They form the hat rack. According to Mies van der in part freestanding rear sides, the cloakrooms ented toward the original – but no longer existent –
the visitor. Outer garments are to be surrendered Rohe’s specifications, a tilted hat occupies 10 cm, constitute two horizontal levels that frame the ad- sales booth. According to Michael Freytag, the
at the counter, surmounted by a slab consisting of while a hanging coat is 5 cm in width. jacent descending staircases. Simple in form, the project manager, deviations arose from the addi-
black Labrador marble. The wooden block, mea- Behind and adjoining one of the cloak rooms is severely functional installations make a sculptural tional functions such as the need for audio guides
suring 2.9 meters in length, is detached slightly a room having the same width. Wooden grills betray impression. When the hall is empty, they them- and wheelchair accessibility. No predecessor ever
from the floor by a granite-clad base, and fronts its function: from here, exhaust air from the hall is selves are the display pieces. existed for the southern counter.
26 Bauwelt Einblick Bauwelt Einblick 27This reminiscence involves no radical break with the existing
Cloakroom and Bookshop Text Josepha Landes features, no antagonism, and instead a reliance by the
present on the past, an awareness of the way in which
present-day existence is inscribed within the current of time.
Considered in relation to its start and its fin- 1960s, instead allowing the exposed concrete
ish, a museum visit proceeds roughly as follows: cassette ceilings to remain visible. This means
you remove your jacket/you purchase souvenirs. that the rooms continue now all the way to the
Somewhere in between, now jacketless, you ad- lower edge of the pedestal, where they also
mire the works of art, which you then take home preserve the brutal decor of the support foun-
with you in the form of postcards or a museum dation, which protrudes now, funnel-shaped,
guide – or perhaps dangling from a keychain, or directly into the space.
printed on an umbrella. The spaces for these The new remains at a distance, employed only
framing museum activities were among the few for this concrete space of the room, left exposed
things to be independently designed by David on the walls as well. While the discussion con-
Chipperfield Architects as part of their project cerning the other Berlin Museum restoration was
for the Neue Nationalgalerie, for these areas consistently bound up with the interplay be-
have been relocated to places previously barred tween contemporary, neutral design and the
to visitors. tendency of adoption of traditional homes to
In its original state, the upper hall provided drift toward coziness, the two new functional
two small albeit quite elegant zones for surren- rooms display Chipperfield’s well-known struggle
dering outerwear, complete with hat shelf. Books for appropriateness. Precisely because the new
and mementos were available in the lower foyer is simultaneously the old, now laid bare by de-
in a partially glazed – and far less spatially im- cladding, the decision is as unobtrusive as it is in-
pressive – stopgap structure. Now that jackets genious. The gentle curvatures of the ceiling
seem to have become thicker, and recent de- compartments which emerge into view endow
cades have seen a heightening of frenzied con- the building’s severe quality with a gentle ap-
sumerism, more space was required for both proachability. This peeling back of the skins that
functions. It proved feasible to relocate and up- cover the skeleton of this monumental structure
grade the storage area in the pedestal zone, allows the overlaps of the perfectionistically cal-
making available two symmetrically positioned culated grid to grate, and hence also to resonate.
The new collective cloakroom rooms in the lower level, each linked to the spa-
on the ground floor was once
cious lower foyer via an anteroom. Happily, the
a picture depot. It and the
bookshop are the only rooms cloakroom on the right (which features an annex:
that have been redesigned by a collective cloakroom for visitor groups) and the
DCA. bookshop on the left, facing the café, are posi- It may be that the new and old strata do not
© BBR / Marcus Ebener.
tioned in such a way that they mark the start and reveal themselves at first glance. And why should
finish of a museum visit. they? The modifications introduced by David
These two rooms are similar, not just in layout, Chipperfield Architects fulfill the demands of their
but also in their coordination with respect to self-imposed aim, namely to generate continuity
materials and construction. The flooring features while never forcing the legibility of their interven-
the same granite slabs as the foyer. The rear tions. They are fully capable of maintaining a
walls of the bookshelves, like the facings in the balance within the freedom that has been granted
cloakroom, are in brown oak of the kind used them. Besides, if an opportunity should arise to
earlier by Mies van der Rohe for the cloakrooms penetrate into the intestines of this icon of mod-
in the upper hall and the furnishings in the ad- ernism, then the interval when you check your
ministration wing. This reminiscence involves no coat or queue in front of the knickknacks counter
radical break with the existing features, no an- seems the most appropriate. When amidst the
tagonism, and instead a reliance by the present art, your gaze should really be reserved for it.
on the past, an awareness of the way in which
The concrete cassette ceiling
present-day existence is inscribed within the was left visible; lights were in-
current of time. The most conspicuous contem- stalled along the length of the
porary intervention is found on the ceiling, where room. The reinforced concrete
beams can be seen in the
the architects rejected the extensive square form of an inverted pyramid.
suspended ceilings used in this building in the © BBR / Marcus Ebener.
28 Bauwelt Einblick Bauwelt Einblick 29Lower Ground Floor Wallpaper, Carpeting, Cassettes Text Marie Bruun Yde
In the pedestal level, glass, steel, and stone
acquire a soft, practical, profane counterimage:
in the lower exhibition area, Mies van der Rohe
worked with wood fiber wallpaper, fitted carpet-
ing, suspended ceilings, and downlights. Which
of these interior architectural elements, so typical
of the 1960s, survive contemporary museum
requirements? What do the surfaces of the exhi-
bition level have to tell us?
Initially, Mies van der Rohe envisioned cover-
ing the gallery walls in burlap, a coarse linen. But
even during construction, he displayed a readi-
ness to compromise, as Martin Reichert of David
Chipperfield Architects reports: “Lighting tests
with the artworks, carried out on-site in autumn
of 1968, showed the unfavorable formation of
shadows by the picture frames, leading to a de-
cision to use not burlap, but instead a coarse
wood fiber wallpaper manufactured by the Erfurt
firm, which was in its turn removed completely
already during the 1980s and replaced by smooth,
plastered walls. For the restoration, the users
did not wish to return to such time-bound interior A rare sight for art museums:
wall-to-wall carpeting, sus-
design elements, which disguised the basic
pended ceilings and no art-
structure.” work. Never again will the
David Chipperfield Architects did not insist on original wood fiber wallpaper
the recreation of the wood fiber wallpaper in the return to the exhibition halls.
© Schnepp Renou.
exhibition area, despite being convinced that it is
likely to encounter renewed sympathy due to a
process of cultural revaluation. According to the
argument for its removal, the living room atmo- granite flooring in the foyer and sculpture garden.
the pale gray bouclé weave,
sphere produced by the wallpaper interferes with Arguing against carpeting were curatorial criteria
the reception of art. According to Roland Som- such as its lack of neutrality and domestic ambi- in a traditional salt-and-
mer of ProDenkmal, a planning office for the pres- ence. Favoring it was the acoustic tranquility it pepper pattern, borrowed
ervation of historic monuments, the rejection of
wallpaper for the public areas actually rectifies
provided, along with a haptic experience that
represented an original and distinctive feature of
its tonality from the granite
an aberrant decision undertaken during the final the Neue Nationalgalerie. Since the original ver- flooring in the foyer and
phase of construction. The wood fiber wallpaper sion wool carpeting, produced by Anker Düren, sculpture garden.
was replaced by smooth plaster, and hence by a had been replaced multiple times before being
simple, timeless and placeless wall finish for the replaced by synthetical carpet in 2004, the mean-
presentation of art. while fourth carpeting installation had to be
In contrast, the architect insisted upon car- reconstructed with the assistance of historical
peting, which had been laid out on nail strips to documents. It consists of a new, more durable
entirely cover the floors of the exhibition galleries wool-polyamide mixture. Too much domesticity?
in 1968. On the other side of Potsdamer Straße, On the contrary, it offers the singular, authentic
1 Large room 8 Secretary 14 Library 50 Portier 69 Mens‘ restroom Room designations according this contemplative textile covers the floors of the experience of strolling soundlessly through the
2 Small room 9 Head Custodian 16 Janitor 51 Graphics cabinet 70 Ladies‘ restroom to plan. Scale 1:200, excerpt. reading areas of Hans Scharoun’s Staatsbibliothek Neue Nationalgalerie.
3 Staircase 10 Assistant 23 Ladies‘ washroom 55 Depot 71 Ladies‘ washroom Black-and-white copy of the
(State Library). In the Neue Nationalgalerie, the The module ceilings in the circulation and ex-
5 Museum corridor 11 Custodian 32 Pantry 59 Kitchen 72 Ladies‘ relaxation room original A4 sheet.
6 Conference room 12 Restoration graphics 36 Packing 62 Restaurant 73 Ladies‘ restroom © The Museum of Modern pale gray bouclé weave, in a traditional salt-and- hibition areas in the lower story were originally
7 Director 13 Office anteroom 49 Depot 67 Cleaning room 74 Restroom corridor Art, New York/Scala, Florence. pepper pattern, borrowed its tonality from the planned differently than ultimately realized. At
30 Bauwelt Einblick Bauwelt Einblick 31You can also read
