Wow, this place is huge!
Where to begin... arriving on a cloudy Sunday afternoon in October without any idea what to expect inside, the classic Baroque facade greeted me, looking quite new compared to the other museums and historic buildings in the vicinity. Turns out the building as seen today was only completed in 2001, a reconstruction of the original structure destroyed during air raids in WWII.
Walking thru the north entry I was surprised by the whole contemporary design of the immediate outdoor corridor. Three stories of cement rectangular windows on either side, the use of minimalist repeating geometry reminded me of Modernist or Bauhaus influences. A gift shop and what looked to be administrative offices occupied the ground floor on one side, the lobby and entry to the forum on the other. Inside the main building there is a number of signs and directions you can go, first should be coat/bag check (free) if you need it, as larger bags needed to be checked. Lockers and in-person check are both available, there's also more than one location for lockers I believe.
The forum hosts a few different museum collections and exhibits within the same building, some free others paid, as well as a full schedule of related tours, events, performances, and local activities. The ticket counter is in the main atrium, with a short line and the staff was helpful in indicating what was ongoing for the day and which exhibits needed special paid tickets for entry. Prices range from €0-12, and it's €3.50 (€1.50 discounted) to access the rooftop terrace, €3.00 for an audio guide. Access to the original Berlin Palace remains are free to visit in the cellar level. A few cafes/restaurants are situated around the building.
Most of my 3 hours here was spent in a few sections, and it definitely felt rushed, would recommend following the suggested durations (on their website), or more:
1) the interactive "After Nature" exhibit (free with timed ticket) focusing on the interdependencies of climate change and loss of biodiversity with social and political repercussions. They showed research approaches and current topics in a historical and scientific context, presented in the form of a modern cabinet of curiosities. Very educational and thought provoking!
2) the Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art: featuring diverse art, artifacts and perspectives from Africa, America, Asia and Oceania from past and present. I loved that these exhibits are developed in conjunction with the regional communities they represent, and don't shy away from questioning the origins of each acquisition and the effects of colonialism. Presentation of these types of items with transparency to their past is essential to understanding how to proceed going forward. Personally it helped me appreciate the process of establishing provenance and be aware of the implicit biases that we may be subconsciously persisting by not addressing these difficult topics.
Hours are 10:30am-6.30pm daily except closed Tuesdays. read more