Porsche Pavilion at Autostadt wins top architectural award

This structure itself is the handwork of Henn Architekten, HG Merz Architekten and WES & Partner who were in charge of the landscaping around the pavilion. Recently completed and inaugurated on the 12th of June 2012, this single shell structure is all stainless steel.

The design of the building is a creation for roofline of Porches like 356 and 911. It is a sweeping arch made of concrete and stainless steel while insides of walls are curved to create one continuous fluid motion with no sharp edges. This particular Porsche Pavilion was selected from a total of 350 entries in this category. Porsche will receive its prize at the Paris Motor Show to be held at the end of September.

Read the news release below for more information.

News Release

German Design Council’s architecture accolade for new edifice at Autostadt in Wolfsburg

“Automotive Brand Award 2012” for the Porsche Pavilion

Stuttgart. The Porsche Pavilion in Autostadt in Wolfsburg Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG will receive the Automotive Brand Award 2012 design prize in the “Best of Best – Architecture” category. The German Design Council announced the news last week, thereby honouring the imposing Porsche exhibition building, whose innovative design has made it an attention-getter in the Wolfsburg park and lakeland setting. The Por­sche Pavilion was created in close collaboration with the architectural practices Henn Architekten (architecture), HG Merz Architekten and jangled nerves (presentation) and WES & Partner Architekten (landscaping). The pavilion was inaugurated on 12 June of this year.

It sports a curved and gleaming matt roof design, inspired by the silhouette of a Por­sche. Emulating Porsche’s long tradition of lightweight design, the monocoque con­struction (French: “single shell”) employed the “active-surface structure” principle: the stainless steel roof structure is a self-supporting shell shaping the space within, the statics of the pavilion being relegated to the background.

Inside, curves and the absence of sharp edges focus the visitors’ attention on the exhibition: centre stage of the pavilion is occupied by 25 vehicle models that take visitors on a journey through the development of the sports car brand. Thematic films, aural histories and media installations provide additional insights into Porsche’s brand values and philosophy.

Making corporate messages emotionally comprehensible and consistently orchestrat­ing them across the full media and product spectrum – those are the critical success criteria in the “Automotive Brand Contest 2012”. An international jury of experts has spent the last few weeks choosing the winners of the design competition from among more than 350 automotive industry submissions, emphasising that brand communi­cation is a critical factor in a company’s success. The German Design Council is one of the leading centres of excellence for design and is hosting the international com­petition for automotive brands, suppliers, design and brand agencies for the second time. Contenders compete in categories such as exterior, interior, concepts, brand design, campaigns, events and architecture as well as in the special categories of innovation, team, brand and agency of the year.  The prize-giving will take place on 27 September at the Paris Motor Show “Mondial de l’Automobile”.