The theme park at the Autostadt in Wolfsburg received another building structure. The new Porsche Pavilion sits in mirrored location to the Volkswagen Pavilion - at the central axis of the theme park - and offers 400 m2 of space for exhibitions and presentations. Designed by HENN, the organically shaped building's characteristic silhouette became a distinctive icon amid the lagoon landscape of the Autostadt.
"The building is unique and its construction is extraordinary," commented Matthias Muller, CEO of Porsche AG. "This pavilion also has a symbolic and historical dimension, as it hints at the common roots through which Porsche and Volkswagen have been connected from the very beginning and will continue to be connected also in future."
Curving lines and exciting bends make the Pavilion a dynamic yet reduced sculpture with its characteristics derived from the Porsche brand image. The structure captures the dynamic flow of driving with a seamless building skin. Its lines pick up speed and slow down just to plunge forward in large curves with ever-changing radii. The stainless steel cladding forms a flush envelope for this vibrant structure, creating the impression of a homogeneous unity, whilst creating a continuously changing appearance depending on light and weather conditions.
At the entrance the pavilion cantilevers 25m over the lagoon's water surface in front. Below the cantilever of the large asymmetrical roof, a sheltered external space opens up. This space is visually connected to the surrounding landscape, but forms its own acoustic enclosure, providing seating for a few hundred guests. Architecture and landscape as well as interior and exterior form a coherent, flowing continuum.
Inside the pavilion a concentrated space opens up, allowing to experience the sports car brand Porsche and its history, yet, casting aside the conventional limits and restraints to perception. The elliptically curved ramp embraces the dynamic principle of the architecture and leads the visitor to the lower, around 400m2 large, exhibition stage areas.