The Vanguard: Gisbert Pöppler

Our series on international design trailblazers continues with Gisbert Pöppler, whose signature style combines bold colour, a balance of past and present and a hint of rebellion.

WORDS Jo Buitendach PHOTOS Supplied, Wolfgang Stahr, Robert Rieger, Supplied

Berlin-based architect and designer Gisbert Pöppler has little patience for conventional solutions. His motto – “All or nothing at all” – drives an approach defined by bold colour, eclectic contrasts, and an effortless mix of high-and low-cost elements. This sensibility informs every discipline his studio spans, from architecture and interior design to custom furniture and fittings, lighting design and colour concepts. Gisbert is known for weaving these threads together seamlessly, pairing broad spatial vision with attention to detail.

Having trained at the California College of Arts and Craft s in San Francisco and at the Technische Universität Berlin, he earned his engineering diploma in 1996. Working in several Berlin studios during a period of renewed architectural activity, he gained a foundation that shaped the direction of his own practice. In 2004, he established a boutique full-service studio; today, his team is known for creating commercial and residential spaces that balance tradition with contemporary expression.

Whether it involves sourcing unique vintage pieces or collaborating with local artisans on custom furnishings, each of Gisbert’s projects is tailored to the client. The process begins with observation and conversation – understanding how clients live and work. The result is always a design solution in which function, atmosphere and artistry are tightly integrated, producing spaces that feel considered, personal and beautifully resolved.

“Good design is like a tailor-made suit,” says Gisbert. “It should fit perfectly without being the centre of attention.” And nowhere is this more evident than in The Village, a rooftop pavilion/ apartment that he and his team reimagined in the heart of Berlin. Set atop a 1930s building, the space centres on a large glass enclosure within which three intimate rooms are arranged like standalone structures, dividing the volume into subtly defined, semi-public zones (and inspiring the project’s name). The apartment feels open and generous while remaining warm and inviting. Gisbert achieved this by layering materials, surfaces and textures, with lacquered wood panelling meeting a matte milk-white linoleum sideboard, teak accents and limestone relief. Each element adds depth and character without overwhelming the space.

His own home, the Border Center, sits in an up-and-coming area of Berlin’s historic core. The apartment showcases Gisbert’s eye for underappreciated pieces, each with its own story and provenance, often reflecting the dramatic changes Berlin underwent at the end of the Cold War. Inside, he’s assembled a treasure trove of objects, including a heavily customised conductor’s chair rescued from a dumpster and a travertine marble display table salvaged from a former department store. Each item carries its own sense of history.

Not content with interiors alone, Gisbert has also turned to custom furnishings and product design. Since 2006, his studio has craft ed bespoke pieces for select clients, filling gaps where nothing on the market could complete the vision. With Gisbert’s love of delightfully irregular forms, skewed lines and oval shapes, the ideal object is often easier made than found. Every piece, from storage cabinets to dining tables and couches, is realised through collaboration with artisans across Europe. Many of the designs also showcase his signature colour flair, making each creation a statement.

In collaboration with porcelain producer KPM (Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur), Gisbert reimagined classic porcelain in a contemporary way to create bowls in fashionable colours that he describes as “independent, exciting and great fun”. Presented in duos, each set features two colour combinations with reversed placement. Originally created in 1929 by Wilhelm Löber, whose simple, elegant forms have long inspired Gisbert, the bowls are brought to life through his signature colour-driven spatial thinking. Targeted accents highlight subtle details such as the rim and foot of each piece, giving the classic forms fresh, modern energy.

On the textile front, Gisbert’s Dadi cashmere bed throw offers versatile styling possibilities by folding the contrasting colour combinations of its two sides. This luxuriously heavy blanket is handwoven in a small Nepalese manufactory just outside Kathmandu, on a traditional loom that was custom-built for Gisbert. | gisbertpoeppler.com

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