The building was designed by American and German architects, including Fritz Bornemann and Willy Kreuer.

One year later after two additional rounds of refinements and presentations an international jury selected Karen Van Lengen as the final winner.

By 1992, Van Lengen's firm completed almost 75% of the design work before the City of Berlin cancelled the project due to lack of funding.

With the collapse of the Berlin Wall and its accompanying unexpected financial challenges, the city abandoned plans for the library expansion.

On its 50th birthday, the library was honored for having been a symbol of freedom in times of political instability and the divided country.