Joint press release
The »Aquabox« mobile indoor pool becomes an IBA’27 project
The International Building Exhibition 2027 Stuttgart Region (IBA’27) and the city of Stuttgart signed a cooperation agreement for the mobile indoor swimming pool »Aquabox« at a press conference on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. The project is now one of 37 official IBA’27 projects. The building, which will be constructed within a few weeks using prefabricated wooden modules, will introduce a new type of structure to Stuttgart that is unique in Europe: a relocatable indoor swimming pool built using wooden modules that can be flexibly deployed at various locations.
The two-story building is currently under construction at Kelterplatz in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, where it will serve as a temporary solution starting in the fall of 2026 while the local indoor swimming pool is being rebuilt. The project’s unique value extends beyond its initial use: once the new indoor swimming pool in Zuffenhausen is completed, the Aquabox will be relocated to other sites within Stuttgart. Designed as a reusable modular system, it can be completely dismantled and rebuilt at other locations.
»With this mobile indoor swimming pool, Stuttgart is setting an innovative standard in pool construction. As Europe’s first indoor swimming pool built using a modular timber construction system, the project combines sustainable and resource-efficient construction with a high degree of flexibility,« says Peter Pätzold, Mayor for Urban Development, Housing, and the Environment of the state capital Stuttgart.
The project exemplifies key objectives of IBA’27: sustainable construction, flexible solutions, innovative designs, and responsible management of buildings throughout their entire lifecycle. Andreas Hofer, Director of IBA’27, says: »Many municipalities face the challenge of renovating swimming pools built in the 1960s and 1970s. The Aquabox demonstrates how this challenge can be addressed in a highly intelligent way: as a mobile system for temporary swimming pools that can be deployed exactly where a temporary replacement is needed during renovations.« Dr. Gabriele König, Managing Director of IBA’27 GmbH, adds: »The fact that many children today no longer learn to swim or cannot swim safely is also due to closed or missing swimming pools. This is regrettable on the one hand and, above all, life-threatening on the other! The Aquabox is a concrete solution to this: it ensures that swimming lessons can continue even during renovations and guarantees that this important basic skill is not lost.«
Alexander Albrand, Managing Director of Stuttgarter Bäder, adds: »With this temporary replacement pool, we are creating a flexible solution to maintain swimming facilities for schools, clubs, and the general public during renovations or the construction of replacement facilities.«
Ernst Ulrich Tillmanns, Managing Partner of 4a Architekten GmbH, says: »For us as architects specializing in swimming pool construction, it is an exciting challenge to translate the design, functional, and technical requirements of a swimming pool into a modular construction concept. We see great opportunities in integrating topics such as prefabrication and the circular economy into swimming pool construction.«
Joachim Maier, Managing Director of POOL out of the BOX GmbH, says: »Without partners who have the courage to break new ground, there can be no innovation. That is why we are very pleased that the City of Stuttgart was willing to join us on this journey and make the Aquabox prototype possible. Only in this way can we learn together.«
The Aquabox is based on a high degree of prefabrication: A total of 46 wooden modules were produced in factory workshops, largely fully finished, and assembled on-site in a short period of time. This construction method not only significantly reduces construction time but also minimizes material consumption and waste at the construction site. In addition to the wooden construction, the technical equipment also contributes to the project’s climate-friendly design: heat pumps, a ventilation system with high heat recovery, and a photovoltaic system on the roof ensure energy-efficient operation.
The indoor swimming pool features a 25-meter pool with five lanes as well as an area with a movable floor and is available for school, club, and public swimming use. The client is the state capital of Stuttgart. The project is being realized by POOL out of the BOX GmbH as the general contractor in collaboration with 4a Architekten, Blumer Lehmann, and other specialized planning firms.
The project was officially accepted as an IBA’27 project at the most recent meeting of the Supervisory Board of IBA’27 GmbH, following a proposal by the IBA Board of Trustees. This brings the total number of IBA’27 projects to 37. The Aquabox at the Zuffenhausen site is scheduled to open in fall 2026.
Source: Joint press release from the City of Stuttgart and the Internationale Bauausstellung 2027 StadtRegion Stuttgart (IBA’27)
