Uve K
Google
Pointless and architecturally questionable, the James Simon Gallery is one of those ill-fated attempts to combine new and old in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Well, Chipperfield failed. While the exact same building would have looked just fine on a big green lawn, it appears abysmally cramped next to the Pergamon Museum and thoroughly destroys the architectural ensemble of the old Museumsinsel. Would the Museumsinsel have been better off without the Gallery? Yes, because all this oddly placed building has to offer is a glorified cloakroom. Mind you, the James Simon Gallery (JSG) is not a gallery. You can check your coat there, use the bathroom, buy some knick-knacks in the museum store, but that’s about it. I sincerely wish the money spent on the JSG had gone into an early renovation of the Pergamon Museum. Now the place is closed for 15 years. How insane is that?!