Porsche Opens Its Treasure House.
The escalator that leads from the foyer up into the exhibition space seems endless. That has a little to do with its length of 105 feet, but more with the unbridled curiosity one feels upon entering the new Porsche Museum. The most spectacular construction project that Porsche has ever commissioned has an enormous power of attraction even from outside. But its appeal is by no means limited to its exterior.
Eighty-six vehicles and hundreds of smaller exhibits on more than 60,000 square feet of space attest to the fascination of Porsche history. But the Porsche Museum is not only rich in information.
At the top of the escalator, a sports-car arena opens up onto two staggered levels.
“The museum is Porsche’s new calling card; it constantly links the brand’s history with its future,” says Stejskal. “Our aim is to display Porsche’s core values. The principles and values that the company pursues are what give it its distinctive “identity.”
In addition to the product chronology that frames the two levels of the spacious, brightly lit exhibition hall, islands throughout the expansive space attract visitors to their respective thematic displays.
By bringing together items from different periods, these thematic nodes direct attention to the most significant cars, the most memorable racing events and Porsche’s technical innovations, including the Targa Florio, automotive studies, Le Mans, the 917, engineering, racing, the evolution of the 911, and the “My Porsche” epilogue.
The Porsche Museum is deliberately designed not to be an adventure park. For Porsche, the vehicles themselves are the adventure and the focus. Repeat visitors are expressly desired. “To acquire a comprehensive idea of Porsche’s history,” remarks Stejskal, “a single visit is hardly enough.”
As the third pillar of the museum’s content, this thematic element reflects the unique properties of the brand and delights visitors with a large number of small displays. The Porsche idea is composed in turn of several constituent ideas—“innovation,” “lightness,” “speed,” “strength,” “intensity,” and “consistency.”
For the museum’s manager, the thematic arrangements illustrate the spirit and passion of Porsche. The centre of the building contains another free thematic complex on how a Porsche is made, which represents the very core of the company—the expertise and know-how at the heart of Porsche. “Thanks to this museum,” says Stejskal, “we now have a place that clearly shows the awareness of tradition at Porsche, but also the joy of innovation.”
Each respective interplay between the thematic islands and the Porsche idea forms a triad with a reference item from the history of Porsche products.
For example, the first glimpse of the 356 America Roadster brings together the idea of lightweight construction, the topic of the Targa Florio, and the chronology of Porsche sports cars.
Each idea also spotlights its own icon as a leading display piece, such as the plastic body of the 908, the Fuhrmann engine, the underbody of the 956, a dismantled 917 assembly, or a collection of trophies.
The same is true for the view into the museum workshop in the foyer, or a visit—advance notification required—to the historical archive. This new museum stands for the communication of knowledge about everything to do with Porsche—whether technical, historical, or contemporary. “But we don’t just display sheet metal and engines,” says Stejskal. “What we really show is fascination.” This promise, too, will be kept. Guaranteed.
From Christophorus Magazine Feb/March 2009