Our campus is becoming more beautiful, lively, and inviting!
At the start of 2025, the University of Stuttgart launched the 'Glow Up Our Campus!' ideas competition, inviting students and staff to contribute creative concepts for making campus life more vibrant and appealing. The jury received a total of over 80 ideas.
The following projects stood out and have been selected for funding:
- Campus Beach Festival
- On June 5 and 6, 2025, Campus Beach at the University of Stuttgart became a summer festival stage during the Campus Beach Festival! Ten bands rocked the stage over two days with rock, pop, indie, rap, and more. The AK Cräsch from the University of Stuttgart provided great lighting and sound. The sandy beach was perfect for chilling out, singing, dancing, and walking barefoot.
- Creating a meeting area
- A concrete canoe built for the Concrete Canoe Regatta is being given a new purpose. As mobile seating, it will become part of a specially designed parklet. The project team is developing an eye-catching urban hangout with built-in seating and a planted concrete canoe.
- Game Night
- On October 31, 2025, the first board game and pen & paper convention will launch on Campus Vaihingen under the motto “Revitalize instead of repair.” It kicks off at 4 p.m. and runs all the way until 2 a.m.
- NWZ Canyon
- The NWZ Canyon (passage between Pfaffenwaldring 55 and 57) is getting a glow up. The concept includes seating areas, newly planted raised beds, and a new lighting concept designed by students.
- Oktopussi
- The “Spider” seating area, which stood in the city garden until the early 2000s, is to be given a new lease of life. In cooperation with Faculty 1, new seating with multiple levels is being planned and implemented.
- Outdoor study spaces
- New study spaces will be created to offer students on both the City Center and Vaihingen campuses space for concentrated work and exchange.
- RadLader
- The RadLader project involves the development and construction of a solar-powered charging station for e-bikes at two locations on Cmapus Vaihingen. What makes this project special is that the materials used are components recovered from the campus, thus creating a circular construction industry.
- Red Square Reimagined
- Vaihingen’s Red Square (currently Campus Beach) is being equipped with multi-purpose markings, transforming it into a versatile playing field open to students, university staff, and visitors.
- Seating on the stairs between K1 and K2
- Inviting wooden seating is being added to the stairs between K1 and K2, making the area more comfortable while also enhancing its visual appeal.
- Sports box and table tennis table
- The sports area at Keltenschanze is being expanded to include a table tennis table and a digitally accessible sports box. The box can be opened via an app, allowing users to borrow various sports equipment for flexible use. This project is being funded by stuwe e.V.
- Study spaces in the Audimax foyer
- New study spaces are being set up in the foyer of the Audimax (Pfaffenwaldring 53). These will be visually and acoustically separated by partitions. This design creates a pleasant learning atmosphere and can be used by individuals as well as for group work.
- Stuttgart Crowns: Revitalizing Campus Space
- As part of the student initiative “Stuttgart Crowns,” three pavilion-style installations were built using basic wooden slats. The project repurposes a former parking area on campus, turning it into an inviting open-air gathering spot.
- Stuttgart umbrella
- A sculptural umbrella structure is being created using innovative materials, designed for versatile, all-purpose use. The umbrella, which symbolizes the University of Stuttgart's forward-looking approach, will be located on Campus City Center.
- Summer oasis
- The courtyard of Café Faust at Geschwister-Scholl-Str. 24c has been upgraded with seating, greenery, and lighting, inviting visitors to spend time outdoors.
- Table tennis table
- A table tennis table will be set up on the Stadtmitte campus, along with a SportBox. It can be conveniently opened via an app - by creating a user account in the “SportBox – app and move” app, you can access table tennis bats and balls. This project is funded by stuwe e.V.
- The Interactive Rotunda
- The rotunda at the Center for Bioprocess Engineering will become a place that promotes creativity, communication, and networking. A lounge area, a digital information board, and a science-themed mural enhance the rotunda, creating an inviting meeting space for students, researchers, and faculty.
- The Wandering Society
- Three events during the summer term: “Flowers in Bloom” in May focused on sustainability and nature. “Airplane Mode”, an afternoon together without phones in sight, was about mental health. The final event "The picnic" celebrated international backgrounds with participants sharing snacks and drawing postcards featuring elements from their home countries.
Our campus is a vibrant hub of creativity and collaboration. The university community is shaping a space where we feel at home and are free to cultivate ideas, and learn together.
Prof. Peter Middendorf, Rector at the University of Stuttgart
Contact
Ideas competition: Glow up our campus!
- Write e-mail
Image: Danae Diaz