Berlin's Altes Museum, housing the antiquities collection on Museum Island in the centre of the city, is in need of refurbishment, the head of the organization that runs many of the German capital's museums has told Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA).
"The Altes Museum urgently needs to be added to the list soon; there are now cracks in the walls," Marion Ackermann, president of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, said. The work will follow that on the city's Pergamon Museum, parts of which are set to reopen next year.
The Altes Museum (Old Museum), designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, opened in 1830. "It is well known that the Altes Museum is the last building on Museum Island that urgently needs a complete renovation. It is now scheduled for the 2030s," Ackermann said.
Museum Island, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is also home to the famous Pergamon Museum. That location has been closed for several years for extensive renovation work. The first sections are scheduled to reopen in the middle of next year, including the hall containing the Pergamon Altar.
The Altar Hall will "shine in an incredibly beautiful and different way," Ackermann said. The wall color has been restored to its original cool blue tone. "The skylights have been refurbished and cleaned, and the natural daylight concept is working again," she said.
The Museum of Islamic Art, which is also housed in the building, has been completely reimagined. "For example, all the senses will be engaged; in the Aleppo Room, visitors will also experience the sense of smell, and you can finally see the cultural connections throughout the entire Mediterranean region."
The renovation of the second section of the building will take another decade, with the Pergamon Museum expected to fully reopen in 2037. The renovation costs are estimated at €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion).
