Natural History Museum, Berlin, Germany

Object Type
Museums

Client
Humboldt University of Berlin

Architects
Diener & Diener Architekten

Completion
2010

Expertises
Thermal Insulation & Energy Performance Calculation

According to the plans of architects Diener & Diener, the eastern wing of the Natural History Museum in Berlin, destroyed during World War II, was reconstructed. The remaining facade fragments were preserved and now visually continue in a reinforced concrete wall. The reconstructed building combines research, collection, and museum under one roof. The 276,000 light-sensitive animal specimens preserved in alcohol constitute a unique, world-famous collection and are now partially accessible to the general public.

The storage of the zoological wet collection requires optimal climatic conditions to minimize the decomposition process of the specimens. Therefore, the architects' assistance in developing building-physically sound details, incorporating the existing building structure, was the focus of the consultation. Through intelligent design of the interior and exterior components, temperature fluctuations in the exhibition rooms can be minimized, thus enabling energy-efficient climate control. In the exhibition halls, which can reach up to six meters in height, ventilation systems, component activation, and winter humidifiers ensure a constant indoor climate of 15 – 18°C.

Image Copyright
1 Christian Richters
2 Christian Richters
3 Carola Radke/MfN
4 Christian Richters