Stadthaus Ulm (Richard Meier Building) with Tourist Information

The Ulm Town Hall is one of the most important European buildings by Richard Meier, who attracted a great deal of attention at about the same time as the Getty Center in Los Angeles. It is an international landmark of modern urban architecture, an open exhibition hall, a venue for current events, a café-restaurant, a tourist information center and more. The town hall was preceded by a struggle lasting more than a hundred years to find the "right" new development for Münsterplatz. It began with the demolition of a former monastery building from the 13th century. The cathedral that now dominates the square, however, seemed intimidating. 17 architectural competitions and design submissions were intended to solve the problem. On November 15, 1986, the jury decided in favor of the design by New Yorker Richard Meier. A storm of indignation and a wave of enthusiasm broke out. The first referendum in Ulm's history took place: 3,000 more votes against, but the quorum was not reached - the local council was not bound by the vote, the opponents had failed. The Ulm Town Hall was opened at the end of 1993. Since the beginning of 2019, it has been a cultural monument of particular importance.

The town house with its white facade and modern architecture represents a clear contrast to the late Gothic cathedral. A barefoot monastery from the 13th century used to stand on the spot where the town house stands today. In 1874 it was demolished. For more than 100 years, the citizens of Ulm debated and argued about what should be next to the Minster.
In 1987 there was the first referendum in the history of Ulm: the design by the New York architect Richard Meier won. The town hall opened in 1993 with tourist information, a restaurant, a jewelery factory and constantly changing, free exhibitions.

The white plastered town house, whose structure emerges from a cube-shaped geometry and concentric circles, is a three-storey pavilion with an area of approx. 3,600 m². A good 2,000 m² of this is open to the public.[12] A larger west and a smaller east wing are connected by glazed bridges and a roof terrace. The openly merging exhibition areas, gastronomy and shops are flooded with daylight. Glass facades, glass shed roofs, smaller and larger terraces, balconies and arcades provide a view of Ulm Minster. Part of the townhouse is clad in Rosa Dante granite. The same stone is used on the terraces, balconies, for the stairs and some floors inside, as well as for the entire Münsterplatz. With its pink tint, it refers to the wall facade of the Ulm Minster. The Stadthaussaal, which is almost 7 meters high, offers space for up to 320 people, depending on the type of seating. The furnishing is variable and changes almost daily. The hall is visibly connected to the exhibition area, the cathedral square and the cathedral itself via large glass surfaces. The high level of transparency between the interior and exterior areas is a trademark of architect Richard Meier. The heart of the townhouse is the open staircase in the west wing, which opens up all areas and floors without access restrictions.

de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadthaus_Ulm