BERLIN (AP) — Berlin has completed a new addition to its Museum Island complex aimed at complementing the popular museums there and making it more user-friendly.
The five-museum complex, a UNESCO world heritage site built in neoclassical style from 1830 to 1930, has undergone far-reaching restoration over recent years. It includes the Pergamon Museum, home to treasures such as the Pergamon Altar and Babylon's Ishtar Gate, and the Neues Museum, which houses a famous bust of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti.
On Thursday, the keys to the new James Simon Gallery were handed over to Berlin's museum authority. Designed by British architect David Chipperfield, it's intended as a central reception building and will house ticket offices, a shop and cafe, an auditorium and special exhibitions.
The building opens to the public next summer.
