Berlin Modern museum opening pushed back to 2030

The opening of a new museum in the German capital, the Berlin Modern, has been delayed again to 2030 after water damage and microbial infestation were discovered in parts of the building, authorities said on Thursday.
The museum's completion is now expected in 2030, a spokeswoman for the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation confirmed, noting earlier media reports. “All available measures have been taken to repair the damage as quickly as possible and there was no need to halt construction,” she added, stressing that work on the site is continuing despite the setback.
The new museum is being built near Berlin's central Potsdamer Platz and is designed to house part of the art collection of the nearby Neue Nationalgalerie. With only a portion of its collection currently on display due to space constraints, the Neue Nationalgalerie plans to use the Berlin Modern to rotate and expand exhibitions even before its official opening, allowing the public earlier access to key works.
The construction project, designed by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, was most recently estimated to cost €507 million ($433 million), up from an initial budget of €200 million, reflecting rising construction costs and repeated delays.
The timeline for the museum's opening has already slipped several times. When construction began in 2019, completion was initially expected in 2026. By the topping-out ceremony last year, this had already been pushed back to 2029. Officials say the latest delay is disappointing but insist the long-term vision for the institution remains unchanged, with the museum expected to become a major cultural landmark in Berlin’s contemporary art scene and a key extension of the city’s museum landscape. — DPA