The starting point was the Stuttgart 21 construction site – an impressive large-scale project that brings together engineering ingenuity and urban transformation. A striking contrast to other highlights such as the Killesberg Tower, whose delicate structural system combines lightness and constructive precision in a remarkable way.

At ILEK, we gathered at the Frei Otto Pavilion for a direct exchange between researchers and students – discussing the history and current frontiers of structural engineering research.

At the theGate Festival hosted by HLRS at the University of Stuttgart, a visit to the CAVE opened up new perspectives: making virtual construction sites accessible for professional exchange is taken to a new level there – a growing field for planning, teaching, and research.

The excursion concluded at IntCDC with fascinating insights into robotics and automation in construction – technologies that are already shaping the buildings of tomorrow.

Excursions like this are an essential part of a contemporary education: they connect structural thinking with real-world experience - it is this kind of exchange that drives research and advances our field. Many thanks to all our hosts in Stuttgart!