The Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery) on Potsdamer Platz in West Berlin (1965-68) Architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was the former director of the Dessau Bauhaus. In 1938, he emigrated to the U.S., where his successful career continued. In 1962, he was commissioned to design the Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery) in West Berlin. Conceived as part of the new Culture Forum in Berlin’s Tiergarten neighborhood, the museum was built to house the works in the Old National Gallery, as well as a collection of 20th-century art. With its clean lines, open plan, and glass walls, the Neue Nationalgalerie assumed iconic status within the architectural tradition of classical modernism. Photo by Reinhard Görner.