Railroad history meets railroad modernity: Deutsche Bahn has reached an important milestone in the renovation of the historic Stuttgart station building and celebrated the topping-out ceremony on Thursday, October 16, 2025. The shell of the listed Bonatzbau building is nearing completion and the finishing work is underway. The Bonatzbau is being made fit for travelers as the station of the future and for the requirements of modern rail transport.

The needs and comfort of passengers and station visitors are the top priority during modernization. In future, passengers will be able to enter the station building at ground level and access the platform without barriers. The distances are shortened. In future, a brightly designed hall will open up on two levels. In addition, more than 30 retail and restaurant spaces will be created in the Bonatz building, as well as a new hotel with around 150 rooms. The conversion of the building complex will also create space for a traffic-calmed station forecourt, which will also benefit travelers.

Architect Christoph Ingenhoven has succeeded in merging the listed Bonatzbau with the futuristic new through station, the heart of Stuttgart 21. As an urban meeting point, the renovated Bonatzbau connects Stuttgart's city center with the Stuttgart Rosenstein urban development project.

Ralf Thieme, DB InfraGO Board Member for Passenger Stations: "The Bonatz building will be a prime example of a station of the future: short distances to and between trains coupled with a wide range of catering, retail and service facilities. The new Bonatz building will therefore radiate modern functionality and offer exactly what travelers, our customers, expect from a modern, comfortable station today."

Dr. Frank NopperMayor of the state capital Stuttgart: "The traditional Bonatz building will be the entrance to one of the most architecturally attractive railroad stations in the world. And it symbolizes Stuttgart's path to a bright future as an important transport hub in Europe."

Berthold FrießMinisterial Director at the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Transport: "Generations of people have walked through the entrances of the Bonatzbau to the tracks - to work, travel, say goodbye or arrive. For many, the station was and is the face of the city of Stuttgart. In its hall, people waited, paused, ate a buttered pretzel or bought a book. With the interior renovation, this special building is entering a new future. The new Bonatzbau stands for the history of travel in Stuttgart and will hopefully soon once again be a lively meeting place in the heart of Stuttgart."

Jens BorgschulteMember of the Management Board of Ed. Züblin AG: "The Bonatzbau is a Stuttgart landmark - its striking façade and impressive, cathedral-like interior symbolize the city's rich historical heritage. However, we are not only preserving an important piece of architectural history here, but are also building the infrastructure for the future. We are delighted to be able to demonstrate our particular expertise in resource-conserving construction in existing buildings with this important project."

The next steps

Work on the interior fit-out is progressing rapidly throughout the building, as is the technical building equipment. For the planned opening of the future Stuttgart main station in December 2026, the Bonatzbau will fulfill the functions required for a transport station. By the end of 2027, the Bonatzbau will be fully available to travelers with all services.

Interim results of the station modernization

Since the start of construction, DB has gutted the Bonatzbau in accordance with the requirements of the preservation order. Among other things, the outer walls were preserved. They were stabilized with an internally anchored, three-dimensional steel frame. The interior was completely rebuilt, including a new technical floor. Specialists cleaned and inspected the shell limestone façade stone by stone on the 56-metre-high station tower, which was still partially scaffolded. Damaged façade stones were replaced. The challenge during the modernization: as the Bonatzbau is more than 100 years old and was severely damaged during the Second World War, the existing plans often did not match the structure of the building. Continuous recording of the existing building fabric was therefore absolutely essential and presented all those involved with a major challenge, which they were able to overcome together.

Note to editors: Photos of the Bonatzbau topping-out ceremony can be viewed at https://bsu.link/richtfest-bonatzbau-presse can be downloaded.