Angela Merkel, known for her enduring patience during her 16 years at the helm of German politics, dealing with infamous political figures such as Silvio Berlusconi and Donald Trump, has certainly reached her tolerance threshold. Throughout her four terms as Chancellor, she had to encounter an incessant construction chaos daily when leaving her residential building that overlooked Berlin’s Museum Island.
Upon her retirement three years ago, the persistent auditory and visual disturbances, from scaffolding, construction debris, persistent banging noises, and mechanical sounds, only worsened. The on-going construction, in operation since 2000, is estimated to be only halfway completed. The extended delays and issues observed in the construction of new airports, concert complexes and train stations, provide a stark contradiction to the widespread belief of German efficiency; with Museum Island being a prime representation of this quandary.
The Museum Island, home to five historical museums dating back to 1830, withstood severe damage during the war and neglect during the East German era. The renovated Neues Museum, housing the stunning bust of Queen Nefertiti of Egypt, was only reopened in 2009. Adjacent to it, the Pergamon Museum is experiencing a slow, drawn-out crisis.
Originally built in 1930, the Pergamon Museum is a vast, three-winged structure that draws in a million visitors each year. Visitors are awed by the sight of the 15-meter-high Ishtar Gate from Babylon and the museum’s namesake altar, which was originally sourced from the city of Pergamon in present-day Turkey over 2,000 years ago. The altar stands at a monumental 36 meters high and 33 meters long and is adorned with bas-reliefs depicting mythical battles between gods of order and giants of chaos.
However, after sporadic renovations over the years, the Pergamon Museum was completely shut in October of last year. It is expected to partially reopen in 2027, with full re-opening earmarked for 2037, albeit tentatively. According to insiders, the restoration journey is akin to a nerve-wracking contest between the gods and the giants.
The original refurbishment costs have surged by 500 per cent, now standing at an estimated €1.5 billion, indicating the potential for further escalation. This current scenario represents a unique confluence of modern administrative mishandling and longstanding architectural shortcomings.
The Pergamon museum, like other similar establishments on the island, employs a blend of rubble, wooden stabilisers and stone backers in its foundations to counteract the silty soil and adjacent river water.
Initial renovations a decade ago necessitated the fortification of the wooden supports and the digging for a fresh basement. It was detected during this process that several of the former support structures had been eroded. Operations were suspended when significant fissures emerged in the basement walls. A five-year stabilisation project ensued, rocketing costs to €50 million. There is still a legal case pending between the federal building office (BBR) and the contractor.
The BBR, Germany’s Public Works equivalent, is infamous amongst private construction firms in Germany. The Pergamon project has witnessed 17 such companies participate and eventually withdraw.
This week, Der Spiegel suggested that the BBR had forfeited control of the so-called “Pergamonster” years prior. With each problem addressed, two more arise, leading those in charge invariably lost amidst procurement legislation, legal entanglements and too many stakeholders.
Other detractors regard another public entity, the SPK foundation, responsible for managing the museum’s artefacts, as partly culpable of the turmoil and spiralling costs. The SPK officials are known to present architects with late-stage modifications such as solar roof panels and unisex restrooms which necessitate expensive revisions.
Berlin’s BZ tabloid anticipates that neither construction timelines nor budgets will be adhered to. And traditionally, taxpayers will have to settle the charges.
Government entities involved in the project reject these criticisms. Instead, they highlight their efforts to redress years of oversight while incorporating ambitious new structures such as a fresh wing in the Pergamon courtyard.
In response to critics, BBR director Barbara Grosse-Rhode, who is overseeing the renovation, recently showcased the almost completed Pergamon Altar room, featuring a new floor and a room-sized skylight. The altar’s revamp, hidden behind shielding scaffolding, is also nearing completion.
Grosse-Rhode has stated that this particular building is highly complex, with various elements intertwined. Preserving the historical parts, some of which aren’t immediately noticeable but are inextricably tied to a monument of this kind, necessitates a significant amount of time.
As Angela Merkel tenaciously clings onto her position for a while longer, individuals exploring the Museum Island in Berlin have the chance to tour a provisional Pergamon museum situated across the street from the original premise. On the inside, a fresco crafted by the artist Yadegar Asisi presents a depiction of how the altar may have appeared in its initial location.