After dismantling the four-lane road that had once led through the city, the opportunity was seized to bring modern architecture right into the city centre. In keeping with the motto “Medieval Meets Modern”, several new buildings were erected at the heart of Ulm. They have been acclaimed by architects and construction experts alike.
It was a very conscious decision to place a collection of architecturally modern buildings right next to the historic landmarks and squares of the city: The shining white Town House was courageously built by American architect Richard Meier right opposite the imposing Ulm Minster back in 1993. It was followed in 2004 by the Central Library by Gottfried Böhm, which is shaped like a pyramid and has a glass façade and acts as a counter balance to the Ulm Town Hall next to it.
On the other side of the Town Hall, the new ensemble of modern structures was completed with the Kaufhaus 'Münstertor' shopping centre with its exposed concrete and glass and the new building for the Sparkasse bank, both of which were designed by Stephan Braunfels and were honoured with the German Cities Award in 2006.
The Weishaupt Art Gallery by Wolfram Wöhr is the latest addition to the New Centre completed in November 2007.
