photographer felix loechner captures david chipperfield's james simon galerie in berlin

marking the inauguration of the ‘james simon galerie’ designed by david chipperfield architects, photographer felix loechner has documented the grand opening of the building on berlin‘s museum island. taken during the event in july 2019, the photo series captures the new architectural intervention amidst the surrounding historic structures, which date back to 1830.

all images © felix loechner

the collection of photographs by loechner depicts the characteristics that define the overall architectural language conceived by david chipperfield architects. visitors can be seen ascending the grand outdoor staircase that announces the entrance of the james simon galerie while also acting as a new public space for locals and tourists alike. the photographer’s images also capture the strikingly tall colonnades, which bring an element of permeability to the large volumes and relate to the more historic buildings on the island.

taken under the summer sun, the light-colored stone, which was constructed from reconstituted stone with natural stone aggregate, is another main feature of the photography series. designed with the surrounding sandstone and limestone buildings in mind, the material lets the james simon galerie blend into the museum island context. 

shot during the grand opening, the series offers a glimpse into how visitors engage with the building. in addition, the number of people also conveys the huge scale of the architecture, from the generously-sized entrance steps, to the impressive colonnades. overall, the images provide an ideal snapshot of berlin’s new james simon galerie, and you can see designboom’s previous coverage of the project by david chipperfield here.

project info:

project name: ‘james simon galerie’

project type: photography series

photos by: felix loechner

architect: david chipperfield architects

location: museum island, berlin, germany

construction time: 2009 – 2018

grand opening: july 2019

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom