James-Simon-Galerie

The James-Simon-Galerie stands on Museum Island in Berlin as an architectural gateway to the island’s museums. David Chipperfield designed the building in a modern architectural language. It carries the name of Henri James Simon, an art patron whose donations supported the Berlin State Museums. The gallery occupies the former Packhof site within the island’s historic ensemble. Chipperfield’s design draws on the construction history of Museum Island and reinterprets Stüler’s colonnades. Architect Friedrich August Stüler designed those colonnades. White concrete columns frame a broad staircase that rises towards an elevated plateau above the visitor centre. The staircase creates the building’s clearest approach. Inside, an auditorium, media centre, temporary exhibition space, bookshop, shops, cafés and restaurants support visitors. The gallery also connects the Pergamon Museum and Neues Museum. Together, these routes form part of the archaeological promenade linking museums across Museum Island. From the Schlossbrücke, the arrangement protects a historic view into the island.