The planning contract for the Kaiser Friedrich Museum, which was renamed the Bode Museum in 1956 after its first general director Wilhelm von Bode, was handed over by Kaiser Wilhelm II to Chief Architect Ernst von Ihne. The latter was one of the best-known representatives of the "Wilhelminian Baroque".

In order to make the building look as if it were rising out of the water, the architect grouped the three-winged building around several inner courtyards directly on the banks of the Spree.

During World War II, the building suffered major damage, particularly in the area of the dome. Beginning in the 1950s, the building was gradually rebuilt and put into operation. Since 2006, the entire Bode Museum, including the Skulpturensammlung und Museum für Byzantinische Kunst, the Münzkabinett and works from the Gemäldegalerie, has been accessible again.