Dusty pink brick, gilded mosaics, stucco work run riot - this is the work of Martin Gropius, great uncle of Walter Gropius, a founder of the Bauhaus school of design. The building was completed in 1881 and originally served as a royal art museum. Like most of central Berlin, it ended the war in a badly damaged state and wasn't re-opened until 1981. Today, under the auspices of the Berliner Festspiele, the Martin-Gropius-Bau hosts outstanding exhibitions.
