Two museums in Berlin by David Chipperfield

David Chipperfield recently completed an apartment building at Potsdamer Platz. He currently has three museum projects underway in Berlin, all located near each other, with varying degrees of success. While the rough construction of the private gallery for the Bastian family was successfully completed on December 14, 2006, the project for the entrance building to Museumsinsel was returned to Chipperfield for complete redesign.
He first got involved with this museum in February 2003 when he won the invited competition against others including Frank Gehry and Peter Zumthor. The site at Hinter dem Giesshaus 1 also gave its name to the entire project. This solid and calm structure will close off an important and visible corner of the block. The expression of the building balances between the industrial anonymity of a loft and voyeuristic individuality with views of Lusgarten and Museumsinsel. The opening of this gallery is planned for next year.
Chipperfield faces much greater challenges with the construction of the museum on Museumsinsel. Many critics deem his 1999 project unsuitable for the existing architecture on the museum island. The idea of several interwoven glass blocks will likely need to be reassessed. In the coming months, the architect and the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation will reconvene to discuss the function of the new entrance building. However, the foundation is unwilling to confirm a completely new project, with its spokesperson simply adding: “We are in the planning process.” The new entrance hall is expected to welcome four million visitors annually. Its design was halted four years ago as the costs for the renovation of the nearby Pergamon Museum spiraled out of control. In early November, the Federal Diet unexpectedly approved 73 million euros for Chipperfield's entrance building, which has been sharply criticized multiple times for its appearance. It is expected to be completed in 2011. Link>