In the Autostadt theme park of Wolfsburg lies since 2012 the Porsche Pavilion by Henn Architekten: a proof of how important Porsche is to the Volkswagen Group. Twelve years after the Autostadt opened its gates to the public, Henn Architekten was called to design a pavilion of historic and symbolic importance. The building’s design suggests the common roots between Porsche and Volkswagen, roots that go deep into the past and will bond them to the future.
The organically designed building is placed in the middle axes of the park, juxtaposed to the Volkswagen pavilion. It features exhibition and presentation spaces totaling 400 m2 and a unique silhouette, which stands out from its surroundings.
The design is inspired by the Porsche logo. One single curved dynamic line that remains graphic and minimal. The structure of the Porsche Pavilion is both dynamic and seamless. Its curves resemble the curves of Porsche vehicles that so many have fallen for.
Henn Architekten chose matte stainless steel panels for the buildings shell, a material that matches with the base and projects unity. Furthermore, the reflectiveness of the material allows it to tune its appearance in accordance with the weather and the shifts of the surrounding environment. Almost 620 metal panels were used to cover the prefabricated ribbed internal structure.
The Porsche Pavilion ‘s form has derived from a continuously flowing design that unifies the external and the internal spaces. The curved canopy of the roof hangs above the lagoon creating an exterior space of excellent acoustics for a large number of guests. WES landscape architects were the ones that designed the surroundings of the Porsche Pavilion in order to incorporate it in the rest of the Autostadt theme park.
In the interior, guests can walk along the ramps and explore the history of Porsche. The upper part is devoted to the Original Porsche, the first 356 model followed by a swarm of 25 silver replicas in 1:3 scale. The interior was designed by HG Merz Architekten.
