Stuttgart 21: Chronology of a construction site for architectural concrete
Stuttgart 21 is the name given to a transport and urban development project that will reorganize the Stuttgart railway junction in the future. The construction of the new Stuttgart main station is a key component of this major project. The old 17-track terminus station is to be replaced by a new underground 8-track through station.
The project was officially presented in 1994, and in 1997, Christoph Ingenhoven’s design was selected from a Europe-wide architectural competition.
The design for the new station concourse consists of a shell roof covering an area of over 40,000 m² with 28 cup-shaped supports and 10 skylights with a diameter of approx. 15 m. The structure was to be constructed from a single cast of white exposed concrete.
After extensive research into the required concrete technology, the concept for the exposed concrete was based on Dyckerhoff Weiss.
In 2017, construction of the first cup-shaped column began with the production of the so-called cup base. The first large-scale concreting followed in 2018 with the production of the first cup. In the following years, the other cups and the shell roof were completed.
After completion of the shell in 2024, interior work began.
In line with the logical sequence of the shell construction, the paving slabs for the distribution bridges between the platforms were also made of white exposed concrete.
Further expansion with track systems, overhead lines, elevators, and floor coverings will continue in 2026. Finally, the technical equipment, including the digitization of the control and safety technology, must be completed so that the long-awaited opening of this unique station made of architectural concrete can take place.
