B³ Gadamerplatz

The name B3 stands for the programmatic trio (all three German functions start with a B) formed by the new district center on Gadamerplatz: education, care, and encounters. The new build provides space for an elementary school complete with sports hall, for a childcare center, and a civic center with its own public café, multipurpose rooms, and a civic hall. This successful combination of diverse usages means B3 is now an important meeting place at the heart of Bahnstadt, and since 2017 locals have readily incorporated it into their everyday lives.

With just short of 10,000 sqm of usable space, the complex was designed by Datscha Architekten. (Stuttgart) led by architect Peter Donn. In 2012, the architecture practice won the two-phase ideas and realization competition, and thus realized its first design for a school building. local citizens were included in the relevant processes as early as the competition itself. Thus, anyone interested was able to view the proposals submitted in the first phase and send comments to the competition organizers that were then forwarded to the architects for the second phase. The IBA supported the city in ensuring a lifelong learning project that had already been conceived culminated in a high-quality building: Workshops were organized during the planning period to prepare the different user groups for their future collaboration.

The building volume consists of four independent, two or three-story sections that are connected to one another by single-story structures in-between. This gives rise to a protected inner courtyard with an elaborate design that reflects the needs and wishes of the different user groups, and the courtyard is open to the public at specific times during the day. The brick façade creates a uniform appearance, and the gradual changes in its color emphasize the special character of the educational and events space. The district center creates a clear identity for the place, something that is supported by the makeover of Gadamerplatz to offer a range of different uses for all age groups and thus interacts with B3 to promote many an encounter across various milieus.