Autostadt was the strategic objective of my second automotive road trip. Unlike the first trip, this adventure was laid out as a circular return trip with several stops.
The purpose of this entire 1200kms itinerary was to see the largest automotive pilgrimage site of the World.
Round trip to Wolfsburg: the second automotive overdose road trip
Volkswagen’s heartland is definitely worth the detour, as it features a massive compound with dozens of buildings. Each brand of the VW Group received its own pavilion, with many other facilities. These establishments differ in both style and function like the iconic Parkhouse towers or the Zeithaus exhibition hall showcasing the evolution and achievements of the automotive World.
The theme park is, however, far from being an amusement park. Autostadt is closer to an expo that is centred around the presentation of brands and products. The exhibitions feature mainly current models (except for the Zeithaus building), and even the interactive sections are somewhat brand focussed, primarily aiming at fans and buyers.
Beyond the exhibitions, additional programmes include taking a (forklift) ride in the Car Towers or a boat ride with a guided tour around the VW factory site.
These however are mainly educational programmes that are not comparable to a trip to Disneyland. For instance, the boat-ride is not like a city tour in a picturesque town like Strasbourg. Visitors get to have look around the massive factory site, which is old, but as bland as a factory can be.
Many pavilions simply showcase the cars their brand offers, while a few actually offer quite a spectacle. At the same time, the pavilions (even the Zeithaus building) are no match for the brilliant factory museums of Audi, Porsche or the August Horch Museum. A visit to these sites will not be made redundant by a visit to Wolfsburg.
Porsche’s 70th-anniversary pavilion
The Porsche Pavilion is located on the southeast side of the massive 28-hectare Autostadt site.
I started with this one upon arrival, as the Porsche pavilion was among the closest to the gateway building, but I also wanted to arrive before the first wave. The elegant concrete structure is located next to a lake that was refurbished at the time of my visit.
The 70th anniversary year of the Porsche brand raised my expectations, as I witnessed several commemorative exhibitions from Rétromobile to Autoworld.
The home of Bugatti
VW’s mega automotive expo includes exhibition areas for all its brands (I only missed Bentley). Since 2008, Bugatti is located in the Premium Clubhouse, embedded in the curve of a little hill between the ZeitHaus museum and the five-star hotel.
It is so well embedded that I could hardly find any good photos on the building in my collection. At the same time, its top floor terrace offered an excellent overview on the neighbouring buildings, including the unforgettable chimneys of the powerplant with the iconic WV Logo.
The Lamborghini Pavilion
The Lamborghini Pavillion is located by the lakes in an excessively simple boxy black building.
As the exhibition is centred around the presentation of a film (and a surprise appearance of a car).
The Audi Pavilion is a tech demo that showcases the brand’s virtues.
The architecture of the Audi Pavilion reflects the brand’s design values through its aluminium exterior and modern and functional lines, although the aluminium can was not my favourite in the Autocity compound.
The Audi Pavilion is a tech demo that showcases the brand’s virtues.
The Škoda Pavilion
The Škoda building in Wolfsburg follows the spirit and design language of the Czech brand familiar from many car shows.
In my view, the structure reflects confidence and invokes patterns from nature. The white/green/transparent decoration works just as well with classic cars as 2018 models.
The Seat pavilion punches well above its weight
The SEAT pavilion is located in the centre of the Autostadt compound, in a bright white building that left one of the best impressions of the whole theme park.
The Seat pavilion punches well above its weight in Wolfsburg
The official materials describe it as a sensuously curved sculpture to represent Mediterranean vitality and temperament, and this may particularly be true in light of the functional Autostadt environment.
Automotive milestones in the Zeithaus
Zeithaus is arguably the main attraction of the massive Autostadt site. In one hand, it is the largest building of the compound with permanent exhibitions of world-class quality.
It was also my personal favourite, being the closest thing to a traditional car museum. While Autostadt is an automotive expo of the World’s largest carmaker, Zeithaus goes beyond the VW conglomerate.
The two permanent exhibitions occupy the left and the right side of the building on three floors. As the two sides are interconnected, the two shows can be visited in parallel or one after another.
The right half keeps the Bezieheungskisten exhibition, focusing on the technological evolution of the automobile, while design icons exhibition on the opposite side pays homage to legendary designers.
