New Porsche museum mostly made

PORSCHE’S new museum, revealed in this first unscaffolded image of the purpose-built exhibition space that appears to defy gravity, will open in Stuttgart at the end of January.

Located on the Porscheplatz near the company’s historic head office and 911 production line in the suburb of Zuffenhausen, the new museum features some 5600 square-metres of floor space and appears to hover in space over the roundabout from which visitors will enter.

Invited guests will attend the ceremonial opening of the new Porsche Museum on January 28 and three days later the doors will be thrown open to the general public.

It will then be open daily (except for Mondays) from 9.00am to 6.00pm. Admission will cost eight Euros for adults, while accompanied children aged under 14 will be admitted free of charge.

The eye-catching building – nicknamed “The Plane” by curious locals – was designed by Austrian firm Delugan Meissl Associated Architects, which won the tender over 170 architects from all over Europe that vied for the job.

It has been taking shape since October 2005 and now displays 30,000 diamond-shaped aluminium and polished steel panels that cover the exterior of the cantilevered main building, which is supported by just three reinforced concrete pillars.

Most of the initial 80 exhibits – about ten times as many cars as in the company’s smaller previous public display area – have already been located inside the museum and include some of the most famous racing cars in the world, as well as key production cars.

Until now, many of these priceless and well-preserved cars have been stored out of sight and wheeled out only occasionally for demonstration runs and historic events around the world, including Classic Adelaide, Targa Tasmania and the Phillip Island historic meeting.

A restaurant on the second floor of the building offers views onto the Porscheplatz through a 500-square-metre glass façade, as well as into the museum itself, but has its own separate entrance and opening hours.

Other features of the museum include a shop that sells a range of Porsche merchandise as well as books, models and posters, a bistro, a cigar lounge, conference and event facilities, the Porsche company archives and a new workshop where the museum technicians restore and work on their precious cars.

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