Berlin’s museum authorities have announced plans to build a temporary exhibition space so that visitors can soak up the ancient city of Pergamon despite building work that is set to hamper access to the Pergamon Museum for many years.
The new building will be located opposite Museum Island, a short distance from the Pergamon Museum. It will house a panorama of the ancient city by the Berlin-based artist Yadegar Asisi and a 3D reconstruction of the famous Pergamon altar, which is currently not on public view because of the rebuilding work. Parts of the the altar, including the Telephos Frieze, will also be on show.
The German government said earlier this month that the full reopening of the Pergamon Museum will be delayed by four years until 2023. The estimated cost has spiraled to €477m, almost double the initial estimate of €261m.
The reason for the delay is the discovery of two pumping stations beneath the museum, dating from when it was first built. These must now be removed to allow builders to reinforce the foundation, but the work has to be done slowly and carefully to avoid damage to the altar.
The construction company Wolf Gruppe will build the new exhibition centre at its own expense. The government, which owns the land, has agreed to make it available to the museum authorities free of charge. The temporary building is scheduled to open in the spring of 2018.
The Pergamon Museum is the most-visited museum in Berlin and one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions, with around 1 million visitors a year.