Annual Report 2010 - Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

View inside the newly designed animal Hall
of the Porzellansammlung
“The aim of this general overhaul is to be able to present
the collections of the Mathematisch­Physikalischer
Salon, which is one of the world’s most important collections
concerning the history of science, in its original location
and in an attractive architectural setting,” explained
Minister of Finance Prof. Dr. Georg Unland at the laying of
the foundation stone. The total costs amount to around €
14.5 million. The construction project conducted under the
management of the state­owned enterprise Sächsisches
Immobilien­ und Baumanagement is expected to be finished
at the end of 2012.
new exhibition of the porzellansammlung
in the Dresden Zwinger
After a six­month period of closure, the Porzellansammlung
was once again made fully accessible to the public at the
end of March 2010. When construction work was found to
be necessary on the windows, lighting and heating system,
the New York architect Peter Marino took advantage
of this as an opportunity to modify the design of the Bogengalerie
(Curved Gallery), Langgalerie (Long Gallery)
and Tiersaal (Animal Hall) in close cooperation with the
Dresden firm of architects Knerer & Lang. Again, the
project was managed by the state­owned enterprise
Sächsisches Immobilien­ und Baumanagement. State
Secretary for Finance Dr. Wolfgang Voß said: “The reopening
of the Porzellansammlung is a highlight for the
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden during the year in
which the tercentenary of porcelain is being celebrated,
and it is an event which makes it clear that the government
of the Free State of Saxony takes its responsibility
for our cultural heritage seriously, setting high standards
Peter Marino (left) and Dr. Ulrich Pietsch
in terms of quality.” Thanks to the Federal government’s
second economic stimulus package, it has been possible
to invest € 2.4 million in this building project and to create
a counterpart to the Ostasiengalerie (Oriental Gallery).
“The newly designed exhibition is an imaginative realisation
of August the Strong’s dream of a porcelain palace. It is a
tribute to the Elector in the spirit of the Late Baroque period,”
says the Director of the collection, Dr. Ulrich Pietsch.
Danger from above
Not all the construction work went according to plan in
2010. On two occasions swift action was needed: an
emergency roof had to be constructed over the Semper
Building in order to protect the Gemäldegalerie Alte
Meister, and shortly before the end of the year the special
exhibition featuring works by Eberhard Havekost in the
Kunsthalle im Lipsiusbau had to be closed for a few days.
In both cases this was due to moisture penetrating
through the surrounds of the skylights. In the Lipsiusbau
it was an unusual amount of snow. The damage was soon
remedied, however. At the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister,
the problem was more serious. It has already been known
for some time that not only the roof, but the whole building,
which was reopened in 1992 following major refurbishment,
is now again in need of repairs. Conceptual
plans for a general overhaul are currently being worked
upon. A protective roof was constructed in the summer as
an instant emergency measure. From 2014 onwards, construction
work will be conducted for about two years, with
the gallery remaining open the whole time. Half of the
collection is to remain on view for the visitors.
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