Its opening marked the end of an important stage in the large-scale Museum Island project. The building was erected in 1898-1904 on the northern tip of the island by the design of the architect Eberhard von Ine in the neo-baroque style. During the Second World War, it was badly damaged and, after minimal renovation, in the 1950s it was again used to display collections of coins and medals, Byzantine art and a collection of European sculpture.
The restoration, designed by architects Heinz Tesar and Christoph Fischer, cost 152 million euros. It included extensive research both in the field of applied building technologies and in the field of preserving the historical authenticity of the monument, as well as planning and implementation of a major overhaul of the building and its inclusion in the master plan of the Museum Island complex (which implied the construction of a new building that will connect Bode Museum with the planned "Archaeological Alley" passing through the entire ensemble).
Also, modern lighting, burglar alarms and temperature and humidity control systems were installed. The courtyard is now part of the museum complex as a full-fledged part of it; the unique stucco molding was restored, and the exhibits built into the inner walls of the building were restored.
The color scheme and choice of materials are fully consistent with von Ine's project. This is especially valuable, since over the past 100 years, not only the original paint, but also the stucco decoration have disappeared under the later layers.
