Volkswagen DRIVE

 
Architect/Design
Volkswagen Immobilien GmbH in collaboration with Christoph Mäckler Architekten 

Location 
Berlin, Germany
 
 
Project
The Volkswagen Group Forum DRIVE is the group’s communication platform in Berlin. The extensively remodelled former Automobil Forum in Berlin houses all twelve Group brands, as well as Volkswagen Financial Services AG, under one roof. Inside, visitors are offered a glimpse into the diverse visions of the Volkswagen Group. 


The different brands, which include Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, MAN and Ducati, take turns in presenting three-month exhibits that each explore an issue in mobility. 

In addition to the temporary exhibits, there are also permanent displays of ‘star’ products and Volkswagen innovations, as well as areas where the public can express their ideas. The building also hosts various rooms with the latest equipment, which is available for meetings, conferences and talks. 

The architectural language of the interior is clean and reduced. With its rectangular shapes and hard surfaces, such as stone floors, it offered the architects a challenge in terms of optimising acoustic quality. 


Solution 
Large single Soft Cells Broadline panels by Kvadrat Acoustic on the ceiling create an aesthetically clean look and acoustically comfortable environment. They enable the architects to introduce continuous LED lighting modules in a very tight configuration, as well as ‘services channels’. These facilitate the positioning of all surface-mounted items, such as sprinklers. 

The Soft Cells panels also make it simple to integrate multimedia units such as retractable screens. Furthermore, their push latch system provides easy access to the ceiling voids – a valuable advantage as access hatches were not permitted in the surrounding MF construction ceilings. 

 

Photography by Ed Reeve