Want to enjoy a cup of coffee in a quiet, green oasis— but do you have to head out of Berlin first? Quite the opposite. From green courtyards to hidden community gardens, there are surprisingly peaceful retreats right in the heart of the capital. After all, you don’t always have to be surrounded by city noise when you just want to relax. One notable example is the ZEIT Café, located in a former Shell gas station from the 1950s in Berlin-Schöneberg.
The café is operated by the ZEIT Publishing Group. However, it is only one part of a larger art and culture venue on Bülowstraße known as “Die Tankstelle.” The concept combines a café, literature, art, architecture, and a garden. Visitors can enjoy coffee and cake here, browse through publications and books, visit two galleries, or retreat to the landscaped courtyard to read. What was once a place where cars were refueled has thus been transformed into a small creative oasis for art and coffee lovers.
The unusual gas station look isn’t a retro fit. The building was constructed in the 1950s as a Shell gas station . The wide-overhanging, curved roof, in particular, still serves as a reminder of its original function. The gas station was shut down in 1986 and subsequently stood largely unused for about two decades. In 2005, gallery owner and art collector Juerg Judin purchased the property. He then began transforming the former transportation hub into an art and cultural venue. The historic gas station architecture was deliberately preserved and restored. Today, you can even enjoy a cup of coffee right where cars used to park under the roof at the gas pumps.
The site is also architecturally remarkable. Instead of tearing down the old gas station, its distinctive elements were integrated into the new design concept and complemented by contemporary architecture. The renovation was awarded the Berlin Architecture Prize. Historic gas station architecture now meets modern glass surfaces, gallery spaces, and a green outdoor area. It is precisely this visible contrast between the past and its new use that defines the character of the place.
One of the biggest surprises is located behind the building. From the busy Bülowstraße, it’s hard to imagine that a quiet, green courtyard is hidden behind the former gas station. Among other things, pine trees and bamboo grow there. There’s also a pond with carp—or rather, koi carp. As a result, parts of the property now feel more like a small, hidden garden than a former gas station in the middle of Berlin. It’s precisely this contrast that makes the place so special: on one side is a heavily trafficked Berlin street; on the other, a secluded garden where you can sit among the plants and koi with a cup of coffee and something to read.
The former gas station was already being used for cultural purposes before the ZEIT Café opened. In 2022 , Das Kleine Grosz Museum opened here , dedicated to the Berlin painter, graphic artist, and caricaturist George Grosz. The museum remained at this location for about two and a half years and closed there in November 2024. The site was then prepared once again for its next use. The development of the property is thus unusual: the Shell gas station first became an art venue, then a museum, and finally a cultural complex with galleries and the ZEIT Café.
