With the completion of the new northern Monbijou Bridge in 2006, the western tip of the Museum Island regained the unity of design that it had gained at the beginning of the 20th century with the construction of today’s Bodemuseum.

The new construction was, of course, highly controversial, as there is hardly any other bridge in Berlin where the structure and appearance diverge to such an extend. Due to the required clearance profile of 21 m in width, the former river pier had to be omitted. But only at first glance the bridge is the arched structure that the gradient of the flat basket arch suggests.

In fact, the natural stone cladding conceals a steel structure designed as a simple single-span beam, but haunched against all structural necessity.