Editing Alte Pinakothek (section)

== The building ==

=== History of the building ===
The Alte Pinakothek was the largest museum in the world and structurally and conceptually well advanced through the convenient accommodation of [[skylight]]s for the cabinets.<ref name="muenchen.de">{{Cite web |last=muenchen.de |title=Alte Pinakothek |url=http://www.muenchen.de/sehenswuerdigkeiten/orte/119226.html |access-date=2018-05-13 |website=muenchen.de |language=de}}</ref> Even the [[Neo-Renaissance]] exterior of the Pinakothek clearly stands out from the castle-like museum type common in the early 19th century. It is closely associated with the function and structure of the building as a museum. Very modern in its day, the building became exemplary for museum buildings in Germany and in Europe after its inauguration in 1836, and thus became a model for new galleries like the [[Hermitage Museum]]<ref name="muenchen.de" /> in [[Saint Petersburg]], and galleries in [[Rome]], Brussels and [[Kassel]].

King [[Ludwig I of Bavaria]] ordered [[Leo von Klenze]] to erect a new building for the gallery for the [[Wittelsbach]] collection in 1826.<ref name="www.pinakothek.de" /> Georg von Dillis, gallery inspector and close confidant of Ludwig I, influenced the project through conservation requirements and practical experience from museum operations.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Mörgenthaler |first=Pouran |date=6 May 2025 |title=Wiederaufbau der Alten Pinakothek in München |url=https://ulb-dok.uibk.ac.at/download/pdf/9581450.pdf}}</ref> The construction period lasted from 1826 to 1836.

The Alte Pinakothek is a free-standing solid building measuring 150 meters inlength, 50 meters in width, and 25 meters in height. The narrow central building is flanked to the east and west by broader wings. The one-meter-thickmasonry was faced with yellow, polished bricks. Although the south façadewas designed as the main façade, the entrance was located on the east side of the building. A gateway on the south side divided the building into two identical halves.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Bauernfeind |first=Melanie |title=Die Alte Pinakothek: Ein Museumsbau im Wandel der Zeit |publisher=Böhlau Verlag |year=2016}}</ref> After damage to the paintings occurred in 1841 due to the installed air heating system, endless discussions about the preservation of the building, along with insufficient financial means for maintenance, led to a gradual deterioration. The installation of a new heating system in 1891 improved the overall condition of the Alte Pinakothek. At the same time, the gypsum floors were replaced with parquet, and the skylights received new glazing.<ref name=":1" />  At the beginning of the 20th century, electric lighting was introduced for the first time, and isolated technical modernizations were carried out.9 During the Nazi era, the building was used for propaganda purposes - including exhibitions that were staged within ideological programs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alte Pinakothek |url=https://www.nsdoku.de/lexikon/artikel/alte-pinakothek-16 |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=www.nsdoku.de |language=de}}</ref> 

The museum building was severely damaged by bombing in [[World War II]]: the walls were burnt out, and a 45-meter-wide hole remained in the center. The area in front of the south façade was used as a rubble depot. After long disagreement about the viability of reconstruction, it finally began in 1952 under the direction of Hans Döllgast and was completed in 1957.<ref name=":1" /> It was reopened to the public on 7 June 1957, with President [[Theodor Heuss]] attending.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Voss |first=Hermann |date=1957 |title=The Reopening of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich |jstor=872096 |journal=The Burlington Magazine |volume=99 |issue=654 |pages=312–313}}</ref> Director [[Ernst Buchner (curator)|Ernst Buckner]] oversaw the rebuilding project, ensuring that the building remained true to its original architecture.  The ornate, pre-war interior, including the large loggia facing the south façade in the upper floor, was not restored. In the 1990s, the building underwent a fundamental renovation and modernization under the direction of Winfried Nerdinger. Between 1994 and 1998, the climate control system was renewed in particular to meet the conservation requirements of the artworks. At the same time, new exhibition technologies were introduced, while the design of the façades and gallery halls remained unchanged.<ref name=":1" />In 2007, another comprehensive renovation concept was initiated, which included measures for energy efficiency and improvements to the indoor climate. A new wall covering was created in 2008 for the rooms on the upper floor of the Alte Pinakothek with a woven and dyed silk from Lyon. The new color scheme of green and red draws on the design of the rooms dating back to the time of construction of the Alte Pinakothek, and was predominant until the 20th century. Already for King Ludwig I and his architect Leo von Klenze, the use of a wall covering alternately in red and green represented the continuation of a tradition that dates back to the exhibition of the old masters of the late 16th century in many of the major art galleries of Europe (Florence, London, Madrid, St. Petersburg, Paris, Vienna).{{Panorama
|image   = Alte Pinakothek Suedseite Muenchen-1.jpg
|height  = 200px
|width   = 
|alt     = Panorama of the façade
|caption = Alte Pinakothek, south façade
|dir     = 
|align   = center
}}

=== Restoration Interventions ===
Since the construction of the Alte Pinakothek, changes have been made to the museum building almost continuously. These were particularly aimed at optimizing the indoor climate in order to improve the conditions for the preservation of the artworks. The 190-year history of the Alte Pinakothek is closely linked to the development of preventive conservation.<ref name=":1" /> 

During the Second World War, the Alte Pinakothek was damaged by multiple attacks: in 1943, the roof and the ceilings of the upper halls were hit by incendiary bombs. In April 1944, the exhibition rooms and staircases completely burned out. The museum building was finally destroyed in December 1944, when an aerial mine tore it open across 45 meters in the middle. In the following years, the ruin suffered further damage from rain, wind, and frost. Looters stole everything of value that had remained after the end of the war.<ref name=":0" /> During the clearing work, the Alte Pinakothek eventually became a dumping ground for rubble, which caused further damage to the building itself, as the rubble exerted significant pressure on the remaining outer walls and released moisture.<ref name=":0" /> In the following years, various solutions were discussed: demolition and new construction, reconstruction, gutting and preservation as a memorial, and integration into a new building complex. In February 1952, it was finally agreed to preserve the Alte Pinakothek as a cultural monument and to rebuild it under the direction of architect Hans Döllgast. He rejected a reconstruction; the traces of destruction were not to be concealed but left visible.<ref name=":0" /> The remaining brickwork was integrated into the reconstruction. Döllgast refrained from smoothing or covering the damage to the masonry and instead made it part of the new architectural language. The damaged central tract was not reconstructed in a historicizing manner but was simplified using rubble bricks that could be integrated into the existing masonry without breaking format. The added masonry stood out visibly from the old masonry, so the addition remained permanently recognizable.<ref name=":0" /> The old windows and arches were reshaped with selective use of concrete without any ornamentation. Meander bands and window parapets were also reproduced in simplified concrete forms.<ref name=":0" /> The structure of the existing façade was taken up by the originally provisional steel columns, which, in the rebuilt part of the façade, adapted to the rhythm of the Ionic columns. The alignment of the new wall surface was set back by half a brick length from the existing structure. The bricking-up of some windows in the upper floor of the cross buildings resulted from the desire to enlarge the hanging surfaces for paintings.<ref name=":0" /> For the roof, initially the most important element to protect the ruin from weather- related decay, Döllgast designed glazed gabled roofs made of wood over the central nave and the cross tracts. The skylight band followed the slope of the roof and could be flexibly adjusted for optimal lighting. The covering of the side aisles with shed roofs expressed the change in orientation. To construct the roof, consoles had to be built at the upper end of the wall to compensate for the outward displacement of the exterior walls caused by the blast pressure of the bombs.<ref name=":0" /> Due to changed fire safety regulations, the roof was converted into hipped roofs during the first renovations after Döllgast‘s reconstruction.<ref name=":0" /> Although Hans Döllgast originally envisioned a narrow staircase leaning against the outer wall to preserve the old structure of the loggia, the client wanted a more monumental design: for this, the still-existing arches between the outer and inner wall had to be removed. Instead of vaults, a new concrete ceiling was inserted and the pilasters were extended to the new ceiling.<ref name=":0" /> With the new staircase, the circulation and layout of the Alte Pinakothek were completely changed. The main entrance was relocated to the north side, so the access now ran exclusively along the length. This was particularly desirable because the former loggia had usually been closed due to strong light and temperature differences caused by the southern exposure.<ref name=":0" /> With the circulation concept, the spatial concept was also adapted: the interior spaces were simplified, restored without original ornamentation, and covered with shallow vaults. While Döllgast envisioned barrel vaults for the interiors, a consulting committee ultimately decided on shallow vaults, in reference to the pre-war period.<ref name=":0" /> The Alte Pinakothek was reopened in June 1957, but was not completely rebuilt on the inside until November 1963. Particular attention was paid to the details of the interior design for a long time.<ref name=":0" />

Since 1998, numerous interventions for renovation, adaptation, and preventive conservation have been carried out on the Alte Pinakothek, as unfavorable climatic conditions and electrical deficiencies were identified through monitoring with thermohygrographs. A detailed building physics analysis was subsequently conducted, which served as the basis for all further interventions.<ref name=":1" /> In 2008, the fundamental renovation of the roof began. This included measures for thermal insulation, sealing, and the integration of a lightning protection system. At the same time, the skylights were renewed with UV-protective glasses.<ref name=":1" /> From 2008 to 2009, the energy optimization of all windows took place in two renovation phases; they were fitted with UV filters and improved thermal insulation. Subsequently, all lighting was converted to LED technology. The fabric-covered dust ceiling glass was replaced with energy-optimized glass and additionally equipped with an integrated shading system.<ref name=":1" /> Despite these interventions, active ventilation of the attic remains necessary to counteract summer temperature peaks and prevent substantial damage to the building structure.<ref name=":1" /> By 2013, all façades had also been comprehensively cleaned and repointed to prevent moisture-related damage in particular. From 2014 to 2015, the central building services were technically renewed, especially the ventilation systems, which were brought up to the latest standards to meet the conservation requirements for the indoor climate.<ref name=":1" />  The interventions were deliberately carried out in stages and while maintaining museum operations. Since July 2018, all exhibition rooms have been fully accessible to the public again.