Berlin, 23 February 2010 - The design metropolis scores points on the international stage. The Neues Museum, Museumsinsel Berlin receives the Travel+Leisure Design Award 2010 in the category “Best Museum”. With this prize the renowned American travel magazine pays tribute to outstanding design and modern architecture in the travel universe. Last night the winners were honoured at an award ceremony at the California Academy of Science in San Francisco.

The highly coveted Design Awards from Travel+Leisure (T+L) in the travel and media industry are now being presented for the sixth time in 16 different categories, including Best Hotel, Best Restaurant or Best Cultural Space. The esteemed panel of judges included design legends like Isaac Mizrahi, Terence Coran or Michael Smith and architects like Jean-Michel Gathy or Rafael Viñol. Adrian Zecha, founder and chairman of the luxurious Amanresorts was named this year’s “T+L Design Champion”.

The Neues Museum, Museumsinsel Berlin is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building dating back to the 19th century was badly damaged during World War II and was an abandoned ruin for over 60 years. After comprehensive refurbishment under the aegis of the British architect, David Chipperfield, it reopened as a museum in October 2009 and is home today to the Egyptian Museum, the Papyrus Collection as well as the Museum for Prehistory and Early History with ancient exhibits. With around 4,000 visitors every day it is the new crowd-puller in Berlin. When outlining its reasons for selecting the Neues Museum, the panel of judges commented that Chippendale had carried out a remarkable feat by integrating architectural innovations into a historic setting.

Berlin’s fascinating mixture of design, art and culture attracts numerous international tourists to the city on the river Spree. The German capital is the first city in Germany to have joined the global network “Creative Cities” in November 2005 and carries the title UNESCO – City of Design.

An overview of this year’s winners of the T+L Design Awards can be accessed on: http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/tl-design-awards-2010/1.

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