Listed factory building upgrade planned for Berlin State Museums

Tenderstream member gmp have won the open two-stage competition for the refurbishment and extension of the plaster casting facility at the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (Berlin State Museums). In operation for over 200 years, the facility is the largest of its kind in the world, producing high-quality replicas of art pieces from collections in Berlin and Europe, and amassing a collection of historic moulds and master models from all time periods and geographic regions. 

The planned new extension will expand the facility’s available space from the current area of about 5,000 sq m to a total of about 13,000 sq m.  Gmp created a design for the extension that connects to the north of the existing facility, providing a convincing solution in terms of urban design, as the new building resembles the existing structure in its overall volume and – with its L-shaped layout – also blocks off the site towards the west and the urban freeway. In this way, the neighbouring residential buildings become part of the newly created urban inner courtyard, and an effective acoustic screening is achieved that blocks noise from the road and railway. In line with the planned low-tech strategy, the layout of functions within the building make ideal use of the different climate and acoustic zones.

The new building consists of a combination of monolithic insulating concrete walls, with a floor and ceiling construction that is a modern and economic interpretation of the existing vault ceilings. Natural background ventilation is provided without mechanical boosters, using ground heat exchangers and solar chimneys on the roof, in order to optimally reducing the energy requirement. Mechanical devices to enhance natural air exchange are only required in a few areas with special requirements. 

In reference to the core activities of the plaster casting facility, the facade is constructed using ultra-lightweight concrete panels, with moulded and cured material used to create a new building sculpture. 

Lucy Nordberg
Tenderstream Head of Research

This tender was first published by Tenderstream on 28.01.2022 here

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