The new building complements the original building, continuing the architectural principle of an ensemble of six structures and four inner courtyards, gardens and galleries. The publicly accessible areas connect seamlessly with the existing exhibition areas. A generous open stairway leads from the Bismarckstraße into the new foyer, which takes the form of an open interior courtyard with a restaurant and a bookstore, and is protected from the street by a glass façade.
Visitors are welcomed into a succession of differing rooms - exhibition areas with ceiling heights of up to six metres, library and reading room, multi-functional hall, events space, depots and restoration areas. Polished cement was used for the floors, which is similar in colour and texture to the cement stone used for the base. The translucent, alabaster-like façade consists of large square recycled glass slabs. The colour of the facade shifts with the changing natural light. The integrated window openings sit flush with the façade.
