On Vacation Guide Book Berlin | Page 36

7 . A L T E S M U S E U M BODESTRASSE 1-3 Karl Friedrich Schinkel ’ s Altes Museum , completed in 1830 , is one of the most important buildings of the Neoclassical era . The monumental arrangement of eighteen Ionic fluted columns , the expansive atrium and sweeping staircase that invites visitors to ascend to the top , the rotunda adorned with Antique sculptures on all sides as a place to collect one ’ s thoughts and an explicit reference to Rome ’ s Pantheon : such signs of architectural refinement had previously only ever been seen in buildings designed for royalty and the nobility . The inscription on the portico reads : ‘ Friedrich Wilhelm III has dedicated this museum to the study of all antiquities and the free arts , 1828 ’. Today the museum houses the Antikensammlung , showcasing its permanent exhibition on the art and culture of the Greeks , Etruscans , and Romans . The Münzkabinett complements this sweeping overview of classical antiquity with its display of ancient coins .