Streetcars of Desire - Der Himmel über Stuttgart
48°46'14.5"N 9°10'23.4"E I with ppa
Public art under the bridge; competition-entry.
2nd prize.
Presumably, on the evening of 4 August 1961, weather permitting, one could have seen the starry sky from Österreichischer Platz. Instead, one now looks at the barren soffit of concrete elements so that traffic can roll over them. But it is precisely this that will make it possible to see the starry sky over Stuttgart again, just as it should have been when the bridge was opened. The image of it is a souvenir of the urban caesura of car-oriented urban planning and at the same time a conscious artistic treatment of the historical heritage.
At the same time, however, Österreichischer Platz is much more than a curated space under a bridge. What happens on and next to the Paulinenbrücke also counts, as they are mutually dependent. We want to take up these conditions and propose installing mirrors on the bridge and next to the square. These mirrors focus the headlights of the cars crossing the bridges and direct them directly under the ceiling via the mirrors mounted below. On the ceiling, which is kept dark, small cut glass crystals are mounted in such a way that - when lit - they illuminate the starry sky over Stuttgart as it would have been on the evening of 4 August 1961.
Thus, through the help of those for whom the free view of the sky was prevented at this point, the city is once again given a view of the stars.
