14.09.2011, The Audi Ring at the IAA

For the first time, Audi has its own freestanding building for its exhibition at the IAA 2011. The Audi Ring is located on the central outdoor space at Messe Frankfurt, the Agora. The highlight of this trade show pavilion, which measures 100 m long, 70 m wide and 12 m tall, is an integrated two-level track. Up to nine vehicles can drive on it at any given time. These are also visible from the outside through openings that stretch along the façade.

The spatial concept and staging convey the drive, innovation and outstanding quality of the brand: Every aspect of the building reflects movement and progression. The architecture features flowing shapes, curves and surprising transitions. These integrate the contours of the façades, entrances and passageways into an overarching concept that brings Audi’s brand core “Vorsprung durch Technik” and forward-looking positioning to life along with multimedia displays and interactive exhibits. The culmination of many years of cooperation, the Audi Ring represents the next step in the evolution of the previous trade show installations.

The visitor tour starts in the “Grand Hall”, where all of the latest Audi models are presented. The adjacent Technology Park visualizes the “Audi ultra”, “Audi connect” and “Audi e-tron” technologies in interactive exhibits. In one, visitors can use holography to project various elements into acrylic model cars. The trade show visit is completed with three highlights: the unveiling of the Audi A2 concept and Audi urban concept show cars as well as the multimedia brand show, which blends real and virtual elements, space and communication to create a unique and unusual presentation.

In the Audi Ring, architecture and communication create a comprehensive brand experience that people can enjoy first hand – for a truly lasting impact. Everything is designed to get the visitors involved, as manifested in the opportunity to see selected vehicles live on the 400 m long track.

This installation was developed by brand architects Schmidhuber + Partner (concept and architecture) in collaboration with KMS TEAM (communication and media content).

The International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt am Main is the world’s most significant automotive trade show. This year’s event is held from September 15-25. After the IAA, the Audi Ring will also be used in cooperation with the Frankfurt Book Fair until October 16.

The Audi group sold around 1,092,400 Audi brand cars to its customers in 2010. The company also generated sales of €35.4 billion and an operating profit of 3.3 billion. Audi produces vehicles in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany), Gyor (Hungary), Changchun (China) and Brussels (Belgium). The company is active in over 100 markets around the world. Audi currently employs around 60,000 people worldwide, including around 46,600 in Germany.

Clip Audi at the IAA