The Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg – the largest museum of cultural history in the German-speaking world – has appointed David Chipperfield Architects Berlin to refurbish its south and south-west buildings. The two building wings, which border the city wall, date from the mid-twentieth and late nineteenth century respectively, comprising 5,500m² in total. The project aims to preserve the listed building fabric and to upgrade the energy efficiency and technical infrastructure of the buildings, while bringing the interior spaces to contemporary museum standards.
The south-west building, a historicist brick structure, was completed in 1899 and was rebuilt with slight modifications after war damage. The south building and the staircase connecting both wings was built between 1963 and 1967 and designed by architect Sep Ruf, who was strongly associated with the Bauhaus group.
Photography © GNM