Between tradition, construction and the future

“In 2025, we took a huge step towards our overarching goal of renovating the entire building to transform it into an open and integrated research museum in the heart of the city,” says Managing Director Stephan Junker.

Site manager Selina Schultze goes into more detail. The preliminary planning for the Invalidenstraße site has been successfully completed and is currently with the funding bodies for review and approval. At the planned second site in Adlershof – which has been given the official address Wagner-Régeny-Straße 3 – the construction planning has been fully completed and is currently under review and awaiting approval by the funding bodies (as of 31 December 2025). At the same time, planning permission has been granted. The tender process for the main contractor is currently being prepared.

But 2025 was not just a year of planning – it was also a year of intensive construction. Where taxidermied birds and beetles once illustrated the diversity of nature in the museum’s main building on Invalidenstraße, scaffolding and the bustling activity of numerous trades now dominate the scene. Terrazzo has been repaired, layers of plaster renewed, and wall openings sealed. Light streams through open windows into rooms where demolition, safety measures and reconstruction go hand in hand. All this marks the visible transformation taking place in the third construction phase of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, which has been underway for two years and encompasses the so-called Villa, the West Wing, the West Front Building, the West Transverse Wing and the West Central Building. The Museum Evolution is in full swing.

In 2025, key milestones were reached in this area. The extensive demolition and dismantling work was completed, and building components contaminated with hazardous substances were professionally removed and disposed of. At the same time, interior fit-out work began and structural preparations were made for the new attic floors. This marks the transition from the renovation of the building fabric to the actual design of the future museum spaces.

Particular progress has been made in the Devon Hall, which this year has windows once again for the first time since the Second World War. New cast-iron supports now permanently secure the historic coffered ceiling. At the same time, an innovative heating and cooling system has been integrated into the clay plaster; this will be powered by geothermal energy in future and will ensure an energy-efficient indoor climate.

The groundwork had already been laid: new floor ducts and foundations were installed in the basements, the villa’s new stairwell – including a new lift shaft – was completed, and weather protection canopies shield the sensitive construction areas. Windows were removed, refurbished and reinstalled. The historic box windows were fitted with modern, insulating glazing. In 2025, too, all technical trades continued to work steadily on the refurbishment of the heating, ventilation, plumbing and electrical systems.

Sustainability remains a central theme in the third construction phase as well. Environmentally friendly materials such as clay plaster, natural insulation materials and timber are being used extensively. The roof surfaces are almost entirely covered with photovoltaic systems and will in future contribute to the building’s self-sufficiency in electricity. This is complemented by geothermal energy for heating and sustainable rainwater management: a swale in the inner courtyard stores rainwater for later use. Bat roosts integrated into the façades and numerous nesting sites for birds also promote urban biodiversity, whilst the existing tree population is largely preserved.

“With the overall progress made on the construction work in 2025, the vision of a sustainable and modern museum is clearly taking shape,” said Managing Director Stephan Junker.