‘Cars have to move,’ says Michael Ostertag-Henning of Schmidhuber + Partner. Keeping this idea in mind, the architecture firm designed Audi Ring, a monumental trade-fair stand complete with driving track. Unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, the freestanding installation invited visitors to get involved in the presentation by copiloting the automobiles on display.

Located at the trade fair’s central square, the megastructure – which occupied a space 100 x 70 x 12 m – played with variations between in and out: large openings allowed parts of the track to ‘swerve’ outside the stand, where they caught the attention of passers-by.

‘The 400-m-long test track pervaded the building like a pulsating artery,’ says Ostertag-Henning, ‘forming the core of the architectural ensemble.’ The circular track spanned two levels, enabling up to nine vehicles to operate at the same time. A sense of motion filled the stand, which included a multimedia exhibition of Audi’s design processes and technological advancements. ‘Architecture, design and dramaturgy ensured unique encounters,’ says the architect. ’Everything was geared towards involving the visitor.’

As seen from the outside, the free-flowing lines of the stand largely determined the buoyant atmosphere of the square. Ostertag-Henning calls the design ‘cutting-edge temporary architecture’ at its best.

Photos courtesy Andreas Keller