Roof Terrace
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| 3 € / reduced 1,50 € |
| Ticket required. |
| Please use the lift in the stair hall. |
| You will also need a ticket to visit the Baret rooftop restaurant. If you have a reservation, please show the reservation confirmation at the elevator. |
| Accessible for wheelchairs |
| Opening hours Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun: 10:30 am – 6:30 pm Fri: 10:30 am – 8:00 pm Tue: closed |
At a height of around 30 metres, the roof terrace of the Humboldt Forum offers unique views in all four directions of Berlin’s landmarks such as Museum Island, the Brandenburg Gate, Alexanderplatz, the Berlin Cathedral and St. Mary’s Church. Neukölln Town Hall, Teufelsberg, and Humboldt Hain can also be seen in the distance. The view allows visitors to visualize spatial references to the history of the site, such as the Crown Prince’s Palace, the Armory, and the Old Museum.
History of the location
The view from the roof terrace also allows visitors to visualize spatial references to the history of the location, such as the Crown Prince’s Palace, the Zeughaus, and the Altes Museum. In front of the Baret, there is one of 36 traces of the history of the location with the ice cream coffee cup from the milk bar in the Palace of the Republic.
Art in Architecture on the roof terrace
An abstract, golden city panorama blends into the panoramic view of Berlin to the east, expanding it artistically. The art in architecture project Insurgentes Sur by Antje Schiffers and Thomas Sprenger is an allusion to the silhouette of Mexico City, one of Berlin’s twin cities. The title Insurgentes Sur refers to the southern part of the longest main street in the Mexican capital, Avenida de los Insurgentes (Avenue of the Insurgents).
Further references can be found in Alexander von Humboldt’s research expeditions. He stayed in Mexico City during his expedition in 1803. The gold leaf used in the art-in-architecture project refers to the collections of the Ethnological Museum, alluding to historical and contemporary power relations in global relations..
Wilhelm von Humboldt’s fascination with language forms the starting point for the second installation on the roof terrace, “Der Kosmos – Things Fall Apart” by Emeka Ogboh. The sound installation, featuring a choral rendition of the Igbo folk song “Nne, Nne, Udu” from Nigeria, is an allegory about a young girl whose careless behavior while carrying a valuable clay pot on her head results in the pot shattering into many pieces. The folk song and chants originate from a rich Igbo tradition of oral storytelling and criticize the destructive influences of Christianity on Igbo culture.
The multi-channel sound installation plays every hour on the hour. Information about the artworks and art in architecture can be found here.
