The centre of Stuttgart – multi-lane traffic corridors cutting through it, fragments of old representative architecture and a hodgepodge of post-war modernism of varying quality. The old town, destroyed during the war, was largely not reconstructed after the war but rebuilt in a contemporary style. How do architects respond to this context? What building concepts do they use to counter these sometimes problematic urban spaces? The art museum, which turns a scar on the city into a building concept. The extension of the State Library, designed by the Stuttgart-based firm Lederer-Ragnarsdottir-Oei, or the John Cranko Ballet School, which makes clever use of the city's topography. Can the new buildings match the quality of Stuttgart's numerous architectural icons, such as the Liederhalle by Gutbrod and Abel or the State Gallery by Stirling and Wilford?
We will take a walk through the city to look at the best examples, get an idea of the developments of the last 15 years and venture a look into the future. We will also touch on the much-discussed Stuttgart 21 project, which extends beyond the city limits: the new railway station and the associated new urban development projects.
