- The place to experience mobility in the capital
- All twelve Group brands under one roof
The Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft will be opening its new communication platform, the Volkswagen Group Forum DRIVE, in Berlin on 1 May 2015. Following extensive remodelling with a completely new design, the former Automobil Forum on the street Unter den Linden will reopen with all twelve Group brands as well as the Volkswagen Financial Services AT under one roof. With changing exhibits and staging, the house will offer its visitors a glimpse into the diverse visions and topics of the Volkswagen Group. DRIVE welcomes its guests with a new culinary programme as well as modern convention facilities.
“Our Group is the largest company in Europe. As an employer, taxpayer and innovator, it is located right in the middle of the society,” said Stephan Grühsem, General Representative of Volkswagen AG for Group communication, external relations and investor relations. “The Volkswagen Group Forum gives us the opportunity to further enliven its economic and social role. Here in the heart of the capital, we want to establish a continuing dialogue with people.”
The Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ducati, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania and MAN brands will all be presenting themselves in the future under one roof in DRIVE. The brands will take turns presenting three-month exhibits, each exploring a particular issue in mobility. Star products will be permanently displayed in other exhibition areas.
In the first exhibit, all the Group brands will present individual themes in their own boxes under the motto “START –The world of the Volkswagen Group”. Interacting with digital exhibits, the visitors will discover both the past and present of the Volkswagen Group. The Living Book, a multimedia installation, provides information about other sites to visit such as the Transparent Factory in Dresden. In addition, special exhibits and cultural events will be open to the public during the year.
Interactive installations in the permanent Financial DRIVE exhibit guide the visitor into the world of Volkswagen Financial Services AG, providing information about automotive financial services as well as the company’s mobility programme. It is possible to make an appointment with an advisor on the second floor of the building. In addition to Germany’s first shop with model cars from Volkswagen Group brands, the establishment offers a new culinary concept: the urban eatery Brotzeit reinterprets the Berliner open-faced sandwich, and the chef Philipp Liebisch offers diners outstanding dishes in the Zeitgeist restaurant.
Volkswagen Immobilien GmbH is serving as the general contractor of the project, and was responsible for the overall planning, project management and construction work. Professor Christoph Mäckler Architekten is the architecture firm responsible for the renovations.
