Description

The row of buildings on the east side of the Old Market Square was rebuilt as part of the “Integrated Building Design Concept” for central Potsdam. As before, the largest and most magnificent of these is the Palais Barberini, this time designed by Hilmer & Sattler and Albrecht. The original building that stood at this spot was completed in 1772 to plans by Carl von Gontard and Georg Christian Unger but drew its inspiration from the Palazzo Barberini in Rome from the High Baroque period. In April 1945 it was almost completely destroyed during the bombing of Potsdam and subsequently demolished. The new Palais Barberini belongs to the foundation set up by the SAP founder Hasso Plattner, who lives in Potsdam and California. Initially, Plattner had proposed a new building to exhibit his art collection and temporary exhibitions on a site next to the Stadtschloss occupied by the Mercure Hotel, a 60-metre-high prefabricated DDR slab block from 1969 that would have had to be demolished. After fierce resistance from the citizens of Potsdam and ultimately a decision by the City Council, the plan was overturned, and the foundation sought a new site. The new Palais Barberini was also originally supposed to house a hotel however the footprint of the building was not conducive to the efficient room layout of a hotel and there were no takers. The decision to house the art collection is befitting for the Palais, not least because the two side wings from the predecessor building by Ludwig Persius from the 19th century were also made available.

The 48-metre-wide façade facing the square was designed in collaboration with the sculptor Guntram Kretschmar. As nothing remained of the original façade, all details were redrawn, and the decorative elements built as models for the replica. The original building had five storeys, with two lower-height intermediary floors. In the new building this has been simplified to two full upper storeys.

Inside, the new building has little in common with its predecessor, with only the entrance hall bearing similarities to the original. It acts as a central circulation space, a meeting place and also as a public passage from the old market square through to the banks of the Alte Fahrt. The two surprisingly spacious stairwells, replete with shimmering stucco lustro walls and columns and bronze handrails, are fittingly noble, although, as the architects concede, rather steep. The elevator too, while straightforward, is enriched with fine materials, including bronze or at least bronze-effect. Aside from the entrance there are two gallery rooms, identical in design, one in each side wing. Here too the ambience is dignified, recalling the architects’ design for the Gemäldegalerie at the Berlin Kulturforum from 1998. Artificial lighting is provided by light bands concealed behind coving around the room perimeter along with spotlights and, on the second floor, large-format, colour-modulated luminous ceilings. Natural lighting can be modulated by perforated and opaque window blinds to protect against the sun as required.

On the upper floor, the exhibition rooms in the side wings are the same size, but lower in height and therefore not of such stately proportions. The room above the entrance hallway in the central wing features seven windows that open onto the Old Market Square with the Stadtschloss and is therefore more suitable for exhibiting sculptures. This central space on the floor above is an auditorium so that the Palais can also function as a place of cultural exchange and education. A huge smart wall provides a digital guide to the collection for visitors. The hall is equipped with state-of-the-art technical facilities for events, and also serves as an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of Plattner’s software company. The audio guide and Barberini app for the exhibitions likewise showcase the firm’s technical perfection.

Originally published in Bauwelt 18.2017, pp. 38-45, abridged and edited for Building Types online, translated by Julian Reisenberger

---