Architecture of the Pinakothek der Moderne

The open and spacious design of the building itself has made a decisive contribution to turning this multidisciplinary concept into a reality. With its impressive 25-metre-high glass dome, the rotunda marks the starting point for all tours of the building. Here, visitors can stroll around as if on an Italian piazza and give free rein to their thoughts as they move from one exhibition area to the next, discuss what they have seen and draw breath before emersing themselves once again in the depths of the next fascinating cosmos.

Apart from the two permanent presentations of works in the Sammlung Moderne Kunst on the upper level and the Neue Sammlung on the lower level, the Pinakothek der Moderne also has space for temporary exhibitions on the ground floor. Two of these areas are reserved for exhibitions held by the Architekturmuseum and the Staatliche Graphische Sammlung. Two further exhibition rooms are used by all four collections.

The architect successfully implemented a lighting concept tailor-made to each of the four museums. The rooms occupied by the Sammlung Moderne Kunst on the upper level have overhead lights and the rooms in the Architekturmuseum on the ground floor are lit from the side through large picture windows, whereas artificial lighting is used in the exhibition areas in the Neue Sammlung and the Staatliche Graphische Sammlung.