Braunschweiger Platz Busstop — Frank Gehry, Hannover
Frank O. Gehry · Bus shelter, BUSSTOPS project, 1994 · Braunschweiger Platz, Bischofsholer Damm · Hannover, Germany
Photograph by Christian A. Schröder (ChristianSchd), via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 13 April 2015, camera date. Full photograph shown; resized for display.
At Braunschweiger Platz in Hannover’s Bult quarter, the bus shelter on Bischofsholer Damm wears a curved roof of folded stainless-steel scales. Frank O. Gehry designed it for BUSSTOPS, the city’s collection of designer bus stops, completed in 1994. hannover.de · Structurae · moderneREGIONAL · Wikipedia (de) Checked
5 things to know
- Part of BUSSTOPSBUSSTOPS was the last project of Stiftung Niedersachsen’s “Kunst im öffentlichen Raum” programme, led by Lothar Romain and carried out by Peter Ruthenberg from 1990 to 1994, with the transit operator Üstra and Toto-Lotto Niedersachsen. Hannover’s collection of designer stops has been in service since 10 April 1994. hannover.de · Wikipedia (de) Checked
- An armadillo roofThe city describes a dome of shimmering, colourful metal mesh that recalls an armadillo, made of stainless-steel sheets folded several times and curved into shape. Wikipedia describes rectangular green and white scales like reptile armour. hannover.de · Wikipedia (de) · Wikimedia Commons Checked
- “Franks Dino”Others saw dinosaur skeletons in the roof, which earned the stop the nickname “Franks Dino”, according to the city’s page. hannover.de Reported
- A working stopThe city’s current page lists buses 128 and 134 here, with the underground Stadtbahn station Braunschweiger Platz next to it; the newest dated photograph of the shelter is from 30 August 2019. hannover.de · Wikipedia (de) · Wikimedia Commons Checked
- Gehry’s other Hannover workGehry also designed the twisted, nine-storey Gehry Tower near Steintor for Üstra, completed in 2001 (opened 28 June 2001 according to the city). hannover.de · Üstra Fahrtenbuch Checked
Check-in guide
- 📍
- Braunschweiger Platz, Bischofsholer Damm, 30173 Hannover, in the Bult quarter; the stop for buses 128 and 134. hannover.de · Wikimedia Commons · Wikipedia (de) Checked
- 🚇
- The Stadtbahn station Braunschweiger Platz is in the tunnel close by. hannover.de · Wikipedia (de) Checked
Sightings
- 199410 Apr
BUSSTOPS open · hannover.de
- 201513 Apr
Schröder photo · camera date
- 20168 Feb
Schröder photo · camera date
- 201930 Aug
GeorgDerReisende photo · camera date
- 202629 Aug
Gehry feature · moderneREGIONAL
Every stamp links to its source. Green stamps are camera dates of photographs on Wikimedia Commons: Christian A. Schröder’s of 13 April 2015 and 8 February 2016, and GeorgDerReisende’s of 30 August 2019, the newest dated photograph we found, with Gehry’s roof in view. Amber stamps are the opening of the BUSSTOPS project and moderneREGIONAL’s article of 29 August 2026, which illustrates the stop with a 2016 photograph. The city’s current page still lists the stop with its bus lines, but carries no date. The status stamp follows the photograph of 30 August 2019.
On the record
The armadillo
“Seine Kuppelkonstruktion aus einem schimmernd-bunten Metallgeflecht erinnert an ein Gürteltier.”
“His dome construction of shimmering, colourful metal mesh recalls an armadillo.” The city’s description of Gehry’s stop.
A Gehry for a bus stop
“Sein unverwechselbarer Stil wurde zur Marke, die man gezielt einkaufte, um einer Skyline, einem Museum, selbst einer Bushaltestelle das gewisse Etwas zu verleihen.”
“His unmistakable style became a brand that people bought on purpose, to give a skyline, a museum, even a bus stop that certain something.” The article illustrates the line with this stop.
Why it was hard
“jeder Quadratmeter öffentlichen Bodens, und will man auch der Stadt ein bleibendes Geschenk darauf machen, ist mit mehreren Gesetzen und Bestimmungen beschrieben”
“Every square metre of public ground, even if you want to give the city a lasting gift on it, is covered by several laws and regulations.” Project leader Lothar Romain, as quoted by the city.
The facts
- Work
- Bus shelter at Braunschweiger Platz, one of the nine BUSSTOPS. hannover.de · hannover.de · Wikipedia (de) · Structurae Checked The city’s page calls it “Das Gürteltier” (The Armadillo). hannover.de Reported
- Designer
- Frank O. Gehry; Structurae credits Frank O. Gehry & Associates. hannover.de · Structurae · moderneREGIONAL · Wikipedia (de) · Wikimedia Commons Checked
- Medium
- Roof of folded, curved stainless-steel sheets on a steel structure. hannover.de · Structurae Checked Dimensions not published. Unconfirmed
- Date
- 1994, part of the BUSSTOPS collection opened on 10 April 1994. Structurae · moderneREGIONAL · hannover.de Checked
- Commissioner
- BUSSTOPS project of Stiftung Niedersachsen with Üstra and Toto-Lotto Niedersachsen. hannover.de · Wikipedia (de) Checked
- Location
- Braunschweiger Platz, Bischofsholer Damm, 30173 Hannover (Bult). hannover.de · Wikimedia Commons · Structurae Checked
- Status
- In service for buses 128 and 134 according to the city’s current page; Structurae lists it as in use. hannover.de · Structurae Reported Standing in the newest dated photograph we found, taken on 30 August 2019. Wikimedia Commons Checked
- Our photo
- Christian A. Schröder on Wikimedia Commons, camera date 13 April 2015, with coordinates at Braunschweiger Platz. Wikimedia Commons Checked
Related
- I Wouldn’t Mind Missing the Bus (8 Photos): the Street Art Utopia collection with this photo, 17 October 2026
All sources (9)
Official records
- hannover.de: “Braunschweiger Platz: Das Gürteltier”, the city’s page on the stop. The armadillo roof, the stainless-steel sheets, “Franks Dino”, bus lines and the Gehry Tower.
- hannover.de: “1994: Als in Hannover aus Wartehäuschen Busstops wurden”, the official portal of the city and region of Hannover. The nine stops, the opening on 10 April 1994, the initiators and Lothar Romain’s quote.
Reference and reporting
- Structurae: Braunschweiger Platz Bus Stop (Hanover, 1994), structure database. Completed 1994, Frank O. Gehry & Associates, steel, in use.
- moderneREGIONAL: “The Century of Gehry”, 29 August 2026. Illustrates Gehry’s reach with this stop, captioned 1994.
- Üstra Fahrtenbuch: “Die D-Strecke: Wo Star-Architekten und Expo-Maskottchen sich treffen”, the transit operator’s blog, about 2020. The Gehry Tower, 2001.
- Wikipedia (de): BUSSTOPS. Overview of the project with references to the 1992 and 1994 BUSSTOPS catalogues (Hirmer; Th. Schäfer), the Stadtlexikon Hannover and Üstra and HAZ reports. Used for descriptions and dates, not counted as an independent source.
Dated photographs
- Christian A. Schröder: BUSSTOP Braunschweiger Platz Bult Hannover Germany.jpg, camera date 13 April 2015, own work, CC BY-SA 4.0. The hero; the share image is a 16:9 crop.
- Christian A. Schröder: BUSSTOPS Braunschweiger Platz Bischofsholer Damm Bult Hannover Germany.jpg, camera date 8 February 2016, own work, CC BY-SA 4.0. Used here only as a dated sighting.
- GeorgDerReisende: Bushaltestelle Braunschweiger Platz, 2, Bult, Hannover.jpg, camera date 30 August 2019, own work, CC BY-SA 4.0; the southbound stop on Bischofsholer Damm with Gehry’s roof. The status photograph.
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