Porsche Museum Stuttgart- 保時捷汽車博物館

Talking about Porsche would set many people’s hearts racing. Not just because of the cars’ high speed, but also their special design.

I still remember visiting a seminar in Hungary with friends after my graduation. On the way home an architect offered me a ride back to Vienna in his car. For a poor student it was a great chance to save spending on a train ticket. I did not think much about it and I was really happy about the free ride. As I took my bag to the trunk at the back I found the ENGINE. This car’s trunk was in the front! So my first experience with a Porsche was quite embarrassing, but also unforgettable.

Ferdinand Porsche was born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He loved engineering subjects and electronics from an early age. He was also good with his hands, and could drive very well. At the beginning of his career he worked as chief designer for Austro-Daimler, designing aircraft engines and sports cars. Later he left the company because of various disagreements. In 1931 Porsche founded his own company, with its main offices in the centre of Stuttgart. His son Ferry Porsche joined his company for car design, and the world-famous Volkswagen Beetle was born at that time. In the Second World War the Porsche family designed and produced the Tiger tank and the Elefant tank destroyer. As the war ended, father and son were both accused of war crimes and landed in prison for several months. After their release, Ferry Porsche designed and developed many racing cars, one of which had an amazing 520 HP. Since Porsche first took part in the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1951 they have already won 19 times.

Porsche wanted to create a museum project with Mercedes-Benz, but it did not work out. Then he decided to launch the most spectacular building project in the history of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. It should be an eye-catching building, which combined Porsche’s headquarters and factory. A place of experience, with showrooms for their company’s history and products. In the competition held to find a design for the museum, Viennese architects’ office Delugan Meissl Associated Architects were chosen from over 170 entries from all over Europe. Actual construction kicked off in October 2005.

By the start of 2007, the basement and the core of the building were completed. By that point around 21,000 cubic metres of concrete had been used for the underground garage, ground floor, first floor, and central support beams. The steel structure supporting the exhibition space, which spans 5,600 square metres, was successfully completed in the fall of 2007. The main part was 150 metres at its longest point. The weight of the steel structure was about 5500 tons and its length was nearly 60 metres. The installation of building systems and the interior work began during the same season.

On December 2008, finally, the avant-garde building was handed over to Porsche exactly on time. It cost 100 million euros in the end, nearly double what had been calculated. The opening of the Porsche Museum took place on Saturday 31 January 2009 and attracted visitors from all over the world who loved Porsche cars and architecture.

The building stands on a slope. Supported on just three V-shaped columns, the museum’s dominant main structure seems to float above the ground like a monolith. This bold and dynamic architecture reflects the company’s philosophy. It is designed to convey a sense of reception and approachability in order to welcome visitors in a friendly manner. In the entrance area visitors can find ticket counters, a coffee shop and museum shop. Next to the glass wall people can see the factory and historical film area. Two escalators with different lengths guide visitors to the exhibition area with various themes arranged on the spiral path. The spatial crossover situation here is quite unique.

Behind the giant glass facade there is a fancy restaurant. Above the restaurant is a conference room with access to the roof terrace. The windowless facade looks like a puzzle of white and mirrored octothorpe (hash tags). From every angle, the shapes of the monolith and base building look different thanks to their polygonal, avant-garde forms and the variation in the structures and windows. The building is like a sculpture, which can be observed from 360 degrees.

In his dedication, the architect declares, “The Porsche Museum creates a space that gives architectural expression to the company’s confident outlook and discerning standards, while also capturing Porsche’s dynamism. Knowledge, credibility and determination are as fundamental to the philosophy as courage, excitement, power and independence. Every idea is treated as an opportunity actively to tackle fresh challenges and probe the limits, yet still remain true to yourself. This museum endeavours to reflect all that.”

Ferry Porsche once said, “In the beginning I looked around but couldn’t find the car I dreamt of, so I decided to build it myself.” Humans become great because of their dreams! Let’s look back at history. How many great inventions were created just because humans did not give up their dreams? I have no chance to drive a Porsche car by myself, but the Porsche museum experience matches my ride experience with a Porsche Carrera. Just thrilling! Are you getting excited to experience that?

說到保時捷的車很多人會心跳加快。不只是因為車速很快，而且造型設計很特別。

還記得大學剛畢業時和朋友去匈牙利參加研討會。回家的路上有一個建築師說我可以搭他的便車回維也納。當下沒有想很多只是很高興有搭便車的機會, 窮學生這下可以省下了火車票的錢。我把自己的袋子拿到車子的後面要放到行李箱時卻發現車子的後面竟然是引擎。這台車的行李箱居然是在前面！所以我人生第一次搭保時捷的經驗竟然是那麼的丟臉，確也永生難忘。

費迪南德·保時捷出生於奧匈帝國,從年輕就開始非常喜歡電機。他不但手工藝很巧也很會開車。剛開始他以主任設計師的身分幫奧地利戴姆勒公司設計飛機的引擎還有跑車。後來因為意見分歧而離開。1931年的時候他在德國斯圖加特成立了自己的研發公司，他的兒子菲力·保時捷也加入汽車設計工業，世界有名的福斯金龜車在那時誕生。因為二戰時期保時捷家族是戰車初期型炮塔的設計及生產商，所以二戰後父子都成了戰犯被關了幾個月。後來出獄後他兒子設計了很多賽車，其中一台賽車竟然有520馬力。自從1951年保時捷參加24小時賽車Le Mans後已經贏了19次冠軍寶座。

保時捷原本想和賓士共同創造一個博物館項目但是沒有成功。所以他自己開始計劃在斯圖加特成立ㄧ個可以融合公司總部和車廠的顯目建築物，展示汽車企業保時捷的歷史和產品。2004年時維也納來的建築師事務所Delugan Meissl Associated Architects從全球170個參與競圖者中出類拔萃得到了建造權。2005年10月保時捷博物館正式開工。2007年初時地基已經完成了，光是蓋車庫，底樓，第一層樓還有中間的結構部份已經使用了21000 立方公尺的混泥土。一個支撐5600平方公尺巨大展覽空間的橋型鋼架構造在於2007年秋天完成。主體最大的長度為150公尺，橋型鋼架構造大約5500噸，最大跨度範圍將近60公尺。同時間開始建築物的水電工程還有室內裝潢。

這個前衛的建築物成功地在2008年12月完工，花費將近一億歐元，是原來估價的兩倍。2009年1月31日正式開幕，吸引全世界的保時捷汽車及建築愛好者。

建築物的基地位於一個坡地上。整個建築物由三個V字型的柱子支撐，一個巨石般的主體遠看像漂浮著。這個勇敢又充滿動感的建築代表保時捷公司的理念，開放式的入口象徵歡迎訪客進入到保時捷的世界。大廳有售票區，咖啡廳及博物館商品販賣區。在旁邊隔著玻璃牆可以看到汽車維修廠還有歷史影片放映區。兩個不同長度的手扶梯通往展示區，螺旋式的走道帶領訪客參觀不同的汽車主題。錯綜交會的空間感很奇特。

大型玻璃帷幕後面有一個餐廳，上面還有會議室和相通的頂樓花園。沒窗戶的幕牆由白色菱形和鏡子菱形拼成。因為多角形設計這個建築物不論從哪一個角度看整體造型都不一樣。也因為不同的結構，窗戶的面積和幾何學設計讓人百看不厭。像一個雕塑品可以讓人360度欣賞。

建築師在開幕時說: „新的保時捷博物館創造了一個全新體驗空間，這個建築語言詮釋了保時捷集團自信及追求完美的態度。專業知識，可信性及堅決恆心是保時捷集團的哲學的一部分。他們也勇於接受新的想法，熱衷於創新及獨立的開發。新的構想對他們來說就是一個機會，他們接受新的挑戰但卻也會忠於自我。所有保時捷的哲學及想法都能在建築語言中找到。“