Design concept

The building solves the need for a strategic transport and meeting point for the city of Tübingen at Europaplatz, near the train station. It acts as a connection point for the regional and city network. The program integrates a café and terraces with essential technical functions: bicycle parking in the basement, workshop, and an information centre. Its circular form creates a simple, pure volume that functions as a concentration point for dynamic visitor flow and urban regeneration.

Structure and Engineering

The building is defined by a simple, lightweight timber structure that combines natural materiality with structural efficiency and features a flexible timber/bamboo façade system that can open and close.

• Primary Structure: The regular vertical timber frame serves as both the main structural and visual element.
• Flexible Façade System: Operable bamboo panels attached to the timber frame function as a non-load-bearing secondary layer, allowing the façade to open or close for ventilation, shading, and visual permeability.
• Basement Structure: Concrete is used for the basement and retaining walls.
• Buildability: The design prioritizes off-site preassembly, with prefabricated timber and bamboo modules enabling rapid and efficient construction.

Elevations

Sustainability (Regeneration/Resilience)

The project prioritizes sustainability through the use of timber and bamboo, emphasizing healthy, non-polluting building materials.

• Longevity and Future Utility: The structure is designed to remain functional and adaptable for generations.
• Resource Depot: Materials are selected for high-quality recycling, making the building itself a resource for the future; bamboo, as a rapidly renewable material, reinforces this concept.
• Resilience: The lightweight construction, combined with the adaptive timber/bamboo façade system, ensures climate responsiveness, adaptability, and a minimal ecological footprint.

Urban Integration and Spatial Experience

The circular building form generates radial connections, acting as a focal point on Europaplatz and facilitating smooth flow between the train station and the city’s promenade. Positioned strategically, the station functions as a meeting point and a place for a short pause within the city’s dynamic. The design integrates green and hard landscaping surfaces, offering elevated viewpoints from the café roof terrace toward the lake and surrounding landscape. In addition, the station provides essential bicycle support facilities, including parking, a workshop, and toilets, enhancing sustainable mobility and contributing to public life in the university town.