It was designed by an architect better known for his Neoclassical architecture, Karl Friedrich Schinkel, and was built under his direction from 1824 to 1831.

The building is maintained by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and is part of the Berlin State Museums' ensemble.

[1] In late 2012, the building was closed due to structural damage caused by nearby construction.

[2] After extensive restoration work completed in early October 2019, the damage was repaired and exhibitions from the Alte Nationalgalerie (the Old National Gallery) returned.

[3] These include a collection of nineteenth-century German sculptures, showing works of Johann Gottfried Schadow, Karl Friedrich Schinkel and Christian Daniel Rauch, among others.