Ten entrances allow access to the exhibition and administration rooms at the main building. © DSM / Horst Hänel 1991

Depending on the calculation and type of use, the Scharoun Building has about 5,000m² of exhibition space. © DSM / Horst Hänel 1991

The different levels inside require more than 60 staircases, 20 of which are for staff alone. © DSM / Niels Hollmeier

In total, the "old building" is approx. 117m long, has a width of 52m and has a volume of 47,000m³. © DSM / Archive

Allegedly, Hans Scharoun's late work has 38 corners in the exterior. Have you ever counted? © DSM / Archive

Among others, Helmut Bohnsack as executive architect and Peter Fromlowitz as planner of the boat hall and the outdoor area were responsible for the construction. © DSM / Archive

View into the planned marine department (1st floor, 1970s). A trademark of the architecture in the DSM are the numerous columns in the exhibition area, ...  © DSM / Archive

... which are reflected in the workrooms. Here, too, columns dominate the picture. View into the emptied magazine of the DSM 2020 © DSM / Niels Hollmeier

The German Maritime Museum is located on a small peninsula between the Weser and the Old Port, some of which has been specially washed up. © DSM / Archive

The Koggehalle is the largest structure in the building, followed by the Meissenhalle with the eponymous Meissen paddle steamer. © DSM / Archive, Structure of the Koggehalle

The open architecture offers the visitor a free choice when touring the exhibition. © DSM / Archive

Another feature of the scharoun architecture is the lack of interior partitioning. The entire exhibition area is visible and accessible. © DSM / Horst Hänel 1991

There is no separation of the different exhibition areas. This allows a comparative view of exhibits in the room. © DSM / Horst Hänel 1991

Scharoun chose portholes, unsurprisingly, to strengthen the overall maritime impression. There was no functional need for round windows. © DSM / Archive

Even though there are similarities to other Scharoun buildings, the German Maritime Museum was built without any direct models. © DSM / Archive

The design borrowed from 1960s museum specifications such as transparency, accessibility, and visitor activation. © DSM / Archive

Nevertheless, the incidence of light and the construction as a day museum pose numerous challenges to exhibition operations to this day. © DSM / Archive