Urban Nation

Berlin's first street art museum is located in Schöneberg and makes it clear from the outside what awaits inside: the facade of the Wilhelminian-era building changes its appearance with each new exhibition. Those who enter here dive into the world of graffiti, murals, and contemporary street art, free of charge and without detours.

Schöneberg as a Stage: The Urban Nation Building

In the Berlin district of Schöneberg, a five-story Wilhelminian-era corner building was converted according to plans by GRAFT Architekten. The result is more than a museum renovation. A modular changing facade transforms the house itself into a work of art. Artists from Berlin and around the world regularly redesign this canvas. So, whoever walks along Bülowstraße 7 will see a different image depending on the time of their visit. The concept doesn’t end at the entrance: the facades around the museum are adorned with street art works that are part of the overall concept and remain in the public space.

GRAFT remains consistent inside as well. The museum’s interior reveals a radical perception of space: enfilades of rooms developing over two floors create spaciousness. A High-Line allows the street to flow into the museum’s interior and connects all exhibition rooms. Visitors move across 500 square meters between floors, connected by bridges.

Love Letters to the City: The Current Exhibition at Urban Nation

The museum does not have a permanent exhibition but instead presents long-term exhibitions, which usually consist of works created specifically for the museum. The current exhibition “Love Letters to the City” runs until May 30, 2027. Curated by Michelle Houston, the show is far more than a homage to the aesthetics of street art. It serves as a platform for a critical discourse on urbanization, gentrification, environmental destruction, and social inequality.

The exhibition features works by over fifty international and Berlin-based artists from the fields of graffiti, urban, and contemporary art across nine thematic chapters. These include names like Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Lady Pink, and Blek le Rat. Highlights include large-format installations: a suspended parcel delivery van by Moses and Taps, and a hybrid reconstruction of two iconic graffiti benches by Rocco and his Brothers. Furthermore, the exhibition connects with the city’s history: for the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Urban Nation presents loans from the Berlin Wall Foundation, documenting various historical perspectives on mural painting in Berlin.

Admission and Opening Hours

Admission is free, and voluntary donations are welcome. Urban Nation is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:00 to 18:00, Thursdays to Sundays from 12:00 to 20:00. The museum is closed on Mondays. Groups of 20 or more people pay a service fee: groups up to 40 people pay 40 Euros, groups up to 70 people pay 60 Euros.