Audi to build ‘hanging cities’ at Frankfurt auto show

A new skyline for Frankfurt: Audi once again has a spectacular architecture in store for visitors of the International Motor Show (IAA). Constructed specially for the exhibition, the building invites visitors to consider the parameters for urban mobility from an unusual point of view. Inside, skyscrapers and entire city districts sprout from the ceiling to create “hanging cities”. Visitors walking through the pavilion experience the diverse requirements on future mobility and the technological innovations from Audi.

The exterior of the building, shaped like a cube, is intentionally designed in a reduced and light way. With its mirrored, four-meter-high pedestal, it appears to float over the Agora, the Frankfurt exhibition center’s central open space. This is the same site where Audi had a brand exclusive temporary building for the first time at the last IAA in 2011.

Inside, projections and a total of 11.2 million LED pixels will display the “hanging cities” and bring diverse urban scenarios to life. Mirrored surfaces on the floor and ceiling infinitely extend the urban landscapes and establish a relationship between them and the Audi models on display. The result is an impressive world of experiences offering the visitor a constant stream of new perspectives on the diversity of tomorrow’s urban mobility.

Construction of the Audi pavilion already began mid-July. Over the course of the seven-week construction period leading up to the first press day on September 10, about 2,300 square meters of mirrored surfaces and 150 kilometers of cable will be laid. That way, 3,400 square meters of total floor space will become the stage for the stars of the show: 28 automobiles with the four rings.