Exhibition tip: Stuttgart 21 in Munich
The Deutsches Museum's Transport Center is presenting a special exhibition on the new Stuttgart Central Station – here you can already enjoy a 360° view of the underground platform hall – a must-see for railway enthusiasts
Until October 7, 2025: Special exhibition "Stuttgart Central Station" in the Deutsches Museum's Transport Center – Alter Messeplatz behind the Bavaria statue in Munich (opposite the Inn at Bavaria Park with a beer garden and playground)
Munich. Station Architecture of the future - experience it now: Stuttgart 21 – arguably Germany's most famous construction site – is currently on display and can be experienced in the Deutsches Museum's Transport Center in Munich. The new Stuttgart Central Station has been under construction in the heart of the Baden-Württemberg state capital for more than 15 years. The first trains are scheduled to run here at the end of the year – the grand opening is planned for 2026. In the Deutsches Museum's Transport Center, you can already learn about the station and enjoy a 360° view of the underground platform hall.
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| Transport Center of the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Am Bavariapark 5, 80339 Munich, Photo: Helga Waess (Pressefotoarchiv) |
"Stuttgart Central Station" is the simple title of the new special exhibition.
In the gallery in Hall III, photos, films, graphics, and two large models create a picture of a station that, with its combination of architecture, technology, and sustainability, is exemplary for our time. The highlight of the exhibition is a rotunda more than four meters high and almost ten meters in diameter, offering visitors a panoramic view of the underground station construction site.
In addition, three monitors provide a mix of interviews and moving images to learn more about the design process and construction of the station. A seven-meter-long light table displays an infographic on various aspects of the project – including its significance for German and European rail transport and the urban development perspective offered by the underground station above ground. A large cutaway model of the station is on display in the exhibition, as is a model of a "chalice support." These chalice supports not only characterize the architecture of the building but also provide natural lighting and ventilation for the platform concourse.
"Stuttgart 21 and its main station represent, like few other projects, the current challenges facing large-scale infrastructure projects in democratic societies," says Frank Zwintzscher, Curator of Rail Transport at the Deutsches Museum. These projects are complex, expensive, lengthy, and often fraught with conflict, which has long been the focus of attention, especially with the Stuttgart project. "Now construction is complete, and the concrete result is becoming visible: an impressive station building with a very high level of design and technology," says Zwintzscher. "We want to give our visitors the opportunity to gain an impression of it and form their own opinion."
Christoph Ingenhoven, whose architectural firm designed the station, emphasizes the project's ambitious ambition: "The heart of the city of Stuttgart will be the future main station with its surrounding squares. A new center is being created that will sustainably change the entire area for the better."
The exhibition was created in collaboration with "christoph ingenhoven architects" and the Deutsches Museum's Transport Center.
Christoph Ingenhoven, whose architectural firm designed the station, emphasizes the project's ambitious ambition: "The heart of the city of Stuttgart will be the future main station with its surrounding squares. A new center is being created that will sustainably change the entire area for the better."
An extensive supporting program is planned for the exhibition, which focuses on station construction. Starting with Stuttgart 21 and the new main station, the current debate about the future of the railway, between dilapidated bridges and the announced "billions for infrastructure," will be addressed. "How can we agree today on what will be built, where, and how tomorrow? Why do we have such a hard time with major projects? How can we achieve a sustainable infrastructure in this country? And what are good design and landmarks worth to us? We would like to discuss questions like these with representatives from science, politics, business, and society in the coming months," says Zwintzscher.
Am Bavariapark 5, 80339 Munich
Opening hours:
The special exhibition "Stuttgart Central Station"
runs until October 7, 2025
Transportation Center of the Deutsches MuseumAm Bavariapark 5, 80339 Munich
Opening hours:
- Sunday 9:00–17:00
- Monday 9:00–17:00
- Tuesday 9:00–17:00
- Wednesday 9:00–17:00
- Thursday 9:00–17:00
- Friday 9:00–17:00
- Saturday 9:00–17:00