After several years of construction, the long awaited opening of new Gotha Central Station Plaza was celebrated in early October. With the new public transport terminal as a fundamental element of the new central station, train, tram, and bus transportation will be integrated to substantially simplify transfers for passengers. Architecturally, the reconstruction of the central station plaza is a highlight of modernity in richly historical surroundings.

A few years ago, travellers arriving in Gotha by train stepped out of the dreary station into an even drearier plaza in the old royal seat of eastern Germany. Not long ago, the State of Thuringen and the city of Gotha proposed to remedy that with a reconstruction of the central station plaza.

It finally happened on October 2, 2007. The Minister for Construction and Transportation of Thuringia, the State Council, the Mayor of Gotha, and the heads of the Thuringen Waldbahn and Regional Transit Authority handed over the newly constructed plaza at a celebratory ceremony for the citizens of Gotha. The public transportation terminal is the central element of the new 13 million euro structure.

The new public transportation terminal in Gotha carries a title that can be read even from afar: “Verily, one does not travel but to see and hear the same at every station.”  This quote from Goethe represents the visual framework of the Gotha transportation hub that unites buses and trains under one roof. In spite of the multifaceted functions of the terminal, this Osterwold+Schmidt construction appears light, clear, and intelligible.

Playing a key role in the materiality of the terminal are filigree, polished stainless steel pillars and special glass units along the walls with service points and small shops. Even the floors of the elegant terminal are adorned in a chessboard pattern with stone and wood panelling.

The simple geometric motif of the terminal provides an ideal environment for the 10 iqube displays. With compact full matrix displays for the nine tram and bus platforms and the 16 line overview display between the train station and the new terminal, passengers have easy access to the new information installations with up-to-the-minute departure information from almost any angle.

Now visitors who arrive by train to Gotha and step out onto the central station plaza are able to make a quick transfer to the public transport system in an environment of compelling architecture with a comprehensive passenger information system.