Infrastructure development has become central to Germany's public conversation. The mobility transition now underway is essential to meeting climate commitments and enhancing quality of life—vehicle traffic alone accounts for 22 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. User needs are evolving rapidly, which is why architects must play a leading role in shaping these spaces and systems. This is precisely where Gruber + Popp operate. The firm views public transit buildings as social destinations that demand thoughtful, interdisciplinary, and participatory design. Their exhibition makes a compelling case: robust design, intuitive navigation, and safe wayfinding can coexist beautifully with welcoming, livable environments.

Across six projects, Gruber + Popp demonstrate architectural strategies for public-minded, climate-resilient infrastructure: Munich's Campus Martinsried U-Bahn station—with its sculptural skylights—becomes an urban gateway to the LMU research campus. Beneath a transparent photovoltaic canopy, the Martinsried bus hub serves double duty as a community gathering space and energy generator. Hamburg's Hagenbecks Tierpark station honors its location's history through a distinctive illuminated ceiling. Berlin's protected Eisenacher Straße U-Bahn undergoes sympathetic renovation while pioneering circular construction principles. The Berliner Hauptbahnhof tram stop stands as a testament to architectural durability—ten years of operation and 35 million passengers later. Finally, their 2025 competition-winning design for Dortmund model stations showcases how wood—a material rarely seen in transit infrastructure—can be deployed modularly and effectively.

Gruber + Popp Architects BDA, founded in 1992 by Doris Gruber and Bernhard Popp, specializes in educational and transit architecture. Notable completed works include Reuter Campus, the Betonoase youth center, and the tram stop at Berlin Central Station. Beyond the projects featured in this exhibition, the firm is currently designing the Ruppin Primary School and Machandelweg U-Bahn depot in Berlin, developing a temporary-use concept for Tegel Airport, and completing the Hermann von Siemens Sports Park in Munich.

www.architekturgalerieberlin.de