Next to the world's most exquisite frame for art—Mies van
der Rohe's Neue Nationalgalerie—we propose its
counterpoint: a functional (not aesthetic) objet trouvé for
the art of framing collections. The Museum of the 20th
Century is a ‘Wunderkammer’ whose gradational grid of
galleries offers curatorial flexibility and clarity with a
diversity in room character, size, and proportion.The
extreme individualization of each gallery’s interior contrasts
with the more abstract and seeming sameness of their
exteriors and hallways, creating an intensively immersive
and surprising experience for visitors. Emphasizing the
unique relationship with its illustrious neighbor, The
Museum is square too, but pushed to its most northern
boundary, away from the Neue Nationalgalerie, to establish
its autonomy. The Museum of the 20th Century’s non-
conformist gallery matrix, transforming and sustainable
façade, and landscapes accessible to all, further set The
Museum as its own entity in the Kulturforum.