Museum Island Berlin – Sub-Project Bode-Museum

Berlin, Germany

Photo © Marcus Bredt

Museums + Galleries

Engineers: CONCEPTLICHT

Location: Berlin, Germany
Year: 2012
Client: Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz - Berlin
Architects: Büro Prof. Heinz Tesar ABT, Wien | Levin Monsigny Landschaftsarchitekten, Berlin
Team CONCEPTLICHT: Helmut Angerer, Eva Lechermann, Martin Möller, Jan Nielsen, Lars Nielsen, Annette Roller, Rainer Teifel, Andrea Watzl
Award: Deutscher Lichtdesign-Preis 2013 - Special appreciation of the jury

Opened in 1904, the Bode-Museum is situated at the northern tip of the Museum Island in downtown Berlin. Its façade is situated directly along the waterfront of the Spree river, making it appear like a moated castle.

The illumination of the museum is done with an excellent colour rendering quality, allowing a perception of the different shades of the stone façade also at night time. The colour is a neutral white (942), not only for presenting the colour of the stone façades unaltered, but also to resemble moonlight and thus appear as natural as possible. Details are highlighted with a warmer colour, for instance the statues above the entrance and the two cupolas. For a coherent overall impression, it is essential to have the geometry of beam angles match the architecture. Thus, the fields of light cover the complete façade, ranging from the edge of the plinths up to the balustrade.