New Chambers
The New Chambers in the Sanssouci Park are located southwest next to Sanssouci Palace and were built from 1747 onwards by order of Frederick the Great. Together with the Picture Gallery to the east and Sanssouci Palace, they form a three-part architectural ensemble.
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New Chambers – Palace for Royal Guests in Sanssouci Park
Originally, the New Chambers were built as an orangery building, theater, banquet hall, and concert hall.
Frederick the Great had them constructed in 1747 according to the plans of Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff under the direction of Jan Bouman. The orangery, in the style of a vineyard castle, was 110 meters long and 6.5 meters high, facing south. During the winter months, it housed the potted plants from the palace terraces.
In 1768, King Frederick the Great decided to convert the existing orangery into a guest palace after relocating his orange trees to a replacement building. Between 1771 and 1775, it was transformed into four banquet halls and a guest wing by Georg Christian Unger.
The exterior design was largely retained, but a dome with a lantern was added to the central part to achieve symmetry with the eastern Picture Gallery. Furthermore, there were later adjustments and renovations by Ludwig Ferdinand Hesse under Frederick William IV.
Changes were also made to the interior: four banquet halls were built in the middle and eastern parts, while the three halls in the western part were converted into three guest living rooms and four bedrooms.
Interiors of the New Chambers
In the east wing, there are the Blue Gallery, the Buffet Hall, the Ovid Gallery, and the Jasper Hall.
Among the most important rooms are the Ovid Gallery – adorned with precious gold-plated wall reliefs – and the Jasper Hall. The latter is located in the center of the palace, a rectangular room adorned with ancient busts and lined with noble jasper. Additionally, the room contains a large ceiling painting depicting Venus.
In the west wing, by 1775, seven guest apartments were created from the previous three halls. The most famous among them is the Grand Marquetry Cabinet, which features elaborate wood paneling. The guest apartments are also luxuriously furnished, including numerous paintings.
All rooms contain rich interior decorations and are considered late works of Frederickian Rococo. They remain in their original state.
The New Chambers serve as the counterpart to the eastern Picture Gallery. The palace received its name after the conversion into a guest palace.
Address
New Chambers
Sanssouci Park
14469 Potsdam
Opening Hours
Valid: 01.04.2021 – 31.10.2021
Closed Mondays
Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 am to 5:30 pm (Last entry 30 minutes before closing.)