[vbaron]

Think of it this way: the new building makes the old building special. Put another old building next to it and no one will notice it. Which is the museum and which is the birth place? Or is it the building across the street? The way it is now, the new building brings attention to the old one, highlights the fact that there is something special about the old one.

I'm not always enamored with modern design, but I do think it works well given the subject and site.