General refurbishment and redevelopment of a major tourist attraction at the heart of Berlin’s Museum Island world cultural heritage ensemble
Alfred Messel started working on his designs for the Pergamon Museum in 1906 and, after his death, the museum was built under extremely difficult conditions. In 1930, the museum opened as the last of the five buildings on Berlin’s Museum Island, but without the originally intended fourth wing at Kupfergraben or the portico in the central forum. The museum suffered severe damage during air raids in 1945 and was repaired between 1948 and 1959. At the beginning of the 1980s, the Pergamon was given a new entrance pavilion to better equip it for the constantly growing stream of visitors. The general refurbishment and extension of this prestigious building in Berlin began in 2010 and was planned by the architect O.M. Ungers. The work is being carried out without disrupting the building’s everyday use and also involves the construction of a fourth wing. In future, due to this new connection, visitors will be able to take a complete, uninterrupted tour as they explore the museum’s antique architecture. In addition, the museum’s entrance is also being significantly improved. BAL has been providing essential project management services since the beginning of the redevelopment project.