Untangling the Maze

Acting as both gateway and central entrance to the museum complex, the gallery—together with the Archaeological Promenade—unifies four of the five museums across Museum Island.

Opened in 2019, the James Simon Gallery stands as a cornerstone of the Museum Island master plan, conceived in 1999. Named after the visionary patron James Simon—who gifted the bust of Nefertiti to the Egyptian Museum—the gallery functions as the complex's central entrance and circulation hub. Together with the Archaeological Promenade, it weaves together four of the five museums across the island. British architect David Chipperfield's office won the commission despite finishing second in the initial design competition to Giorgio Grassi. Subsequent refinements proved the decisive factor, ultimately making Chipperfield's vision the clear choice. The master plan itself emerged from a compelling challenge: to transform a collection of architecturally disparate buildings—spanning different periods and designed by different masters—into a coherent, unified whole. A central access point would serve as both organizational anchor and gateway, simplifying navigation across the complex. Yet completion remains contingent on finishing the Archaeological Promenade, a continuous underground passage linking the Altes Museum to the Bode Museum at the base level. Positioned opposite the Neues Museum to the east and overlooking the Kupfergraben to the west, the James Simon Gallery announces itself through a monumental staircase descending toward the Lustgarten at the island's southern edge. Built on the footprint of Karl Friedrich Schinkel's former Neuer Packhof—demolished after significant structural subsidence—the site presented formidable technical obstacles. Stable ground exists only at depths exceeding 40 meters in places, necessitating sophisticated drilling and stabilization systems. The facade employs cast concrete aggregate with white Lengefeld marble chips, while interior spaces feature polished in-situ concrete. The building unfolds across five levels: a service basement housing technical and collection storage areas. Level 0 contains a temporary exhibition space and corridor access to the Neues Museum and Archaeological Promenade. Level 1 houses the main foyer and auditorium—which extends partially beneath the grand staircase—on the entrance side. Above sits the mezzanine, accommodating a secondary foyer, museum shop, coat check, and restrooms. The principal floor (Level 2) features a foyer, terrace, restaurant/café, and the Pergamon Museum entrance.

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