The zinc-paneled building is truly innovative in the connection it creates between the museum's themes and its architecture. Libeskind has dubbed his design "Between the Lines", a title which reflects the tensions of German-Jewish history. Inscribed within the design of the building, this past takes shape along two lines charting various cultural connections and modes of thought: one is straight, but broken into many fragments; the other is winding and open-ended. The intersection of theses lines is marked by voids, empty spaces that cut through the entire museum. Rich in symbolism, the museum's architecture makes German-Jewish history palpable, raises numerous questions, and provokes reflection.
The entrance to the museum is via the old building, a former collegiate house. In the historic Friedrichstadt it is the last remaining baroque palace.