Visitor Information Center "Weissenhof.Forum", Stuttgart

A new Visitor Information Center is being constructed at the Weissenhof, based on a design by Barkow Leibinger Architects, and is scheduled for completion in time for the 100th anniversary of the “Weissenhofsiedlung” in 2027. Due to the tight timeline for planning and construction, the project is based on a so-called Design & Build process, with ZECH Bau serving as the general contractor.
The building is a key contribution by the City of Stuttgart to the International Building Exhibition IBA’27. The "Weissenhofsiedlung" was part of the original building exhibition in 1927.
The reception building, officially named "Weissenhof.Forum," will serve as a venue for information, events, exhibitions, and exchange directly at the entrance to the estate. It is intended to relieve the existing reception area at the Le Corbusier duplex, which is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, by providing ticketing, a cloakroom, a café, and a bookstore. Additionally, the new building will feature a space for temporary exhibitions, a workshop room, and a new permanent exhibition, complementing the display at the Le Corbusier House and the tour through the estate. Connected to the permanent exhibition, there will be a multifunctional media room that can also be used for events.
The building design places a high emphasis on sustainability. The consistent use of natural building materials such as wood and clay help achieve a low carbon footprint during manufacturing and construction. The structure includes unbaked clay bricks as load-bearing elements.
For reasons of sustainability and project budgeting, a museal use without conservation requirements has been planned following discussions between the client, the Weissenhof Museum, and the planning team. The approach consciously implements sufficiency and low-tech concepts. The mass of the load-bearing clay components is deliberately utilized; it provides thermal and hygric effects, passively maintaining stable interior temperature and humidity conditions. The active conditioning elements are the thermally activated floors, which serve for demand-based heating and cooling. The administrative area is naturally ventilated through operable windows. Only the event and exhibition spaces, as well as the café, are equipped with demand-controlled, centrally-mechanized ventilation and heat recovery with sensitive partial climate control.
The energy concept is highly efficient and relies on a reversible heat pump combined with a latent ice storage system. Together with integrated facade photovoltaics (BIPV) and roof-mounted PV panels, this enables the information center to operate fossil-free and in a climate-neutral manner on the balance sheet.