Postareal (IBA 2027 Stuttgart), Böblingen, Germany

By the end of 2026, a 200-feet-high building is to be built as a new gateway to the city center. The International Building Exhibition (IBA) is planned for 2027 in the Stuttgart region and the Böblingen Postareal, one of 16 IBA projects, is to be rebuilt by then. It will serve as an urban mix for living, shopping, and offices. As an ecological high-rise, it will offer living space for students, singles, families, seniors, co-living arrangements, and commuters with up to 180 apartments. In addition, there will be community areas, a sports center, and a media library. Rooms for start-ups, craft businesses, offices and co-working spaces are also planned. The design envisages three buildings on the 66.736 ft² corner site. A 20-story high point sets the accent in the new quarter. The other buildings will then be no more than half that height.

The core idea of the project is sustainable building. The planners want to recycle elements and the concrete of the current post office building and reuse them in the new building. This should improve the climate balance of the buildings. This could include windows, doors and facade elements, but also recycled concrete, because it protects the environment, reduces CO2 emissions and saves landfill space. Interventions in nature for sand and gravel extraction are also reduced and quite a few transport kilometers are eliminated when recycled concrete is used.

According to the motto "As much wood as possible - as little concrete as necessary," at least half of the new buildings should be made of wood. Fire protection requires that the stairwells be cast in concrete. For the floor slabs, the architects are relying on a wood-concrete composite. Certain facade elements are to be made entirely of wood. It is possible that typical concrete elements of the facade of the old building will be found elsewhere in the new building. The same applies to windows and doors. The upcoming planning process will provide clarity on this.

The areal is to be open and permeable. To keep cool in summer, the inner courtyard will be landscaped. Community gardens on the roofs of the buildings and green space towards the train station are planned. The new inner courtyard, called the "City Foyer," will extend between the buildings and be accessible from all sides. It will have water features and is intended to be a meeting place to linger for residents, customers of the stores, pedestrians or waiting bus and train passengers.