A new museum celebrating the art of graffiti has opened its doors in Berlin, Germany.

The Urban Nation Museum for Urban Contemporary Art (UN Museum), which opened on Bülowstrasse, was developed to document and promote street art and graffiti for the first time.

A portrait of a man sculpted out of the wall of the museum by the Portuguese artist Vhils, colourful figures by Berlin-based artist Mimi S, and paintings by Shepard Fairey and The London Police were among 150 work currently on show, as part of the debut exhibition titled UNique. UNited. UNstoppable..

Inside the building, architecture firm Graft has designed a suspended bridge between the upper areas of the museum, enabling visitors to walk above the main gallery space and appreciate the artworks from different perspectives. The asphalt floor is a nod to the “street” feel.

Graft created the new interior, which was originally a residential building, and on the exterior installed a modular façade which can be used as a blank canvas by artists and museum collaborators.

UN museum is equipped with a library, events theatre and 12 apartments to cater for the artist-in-residency programme.

The launch event, which included the display of various artworks and installations in the outdoor area around the museum building, attracted thousands of people, as well as the mayor and other celebrity guests.