Title	VOLOPORT
Brand	VOLOCOPTER IN COLLABORATION WITH SKYPORTS
Product/Service	URBAN AIR TAXI STATION
Category	F03. Innovation & Solution
Entrant	BRANDLAB Berlin, GERMANY
Idea Creation	BRANDLAB Berlin, GERMANY
Production	BRANDLAB Berlin, GERMANY
Additional Company	ARUP Berlin, GERMANY

Name	Company	Position
Linda Stannieder	Graft Brandlab GmbH	Chief Executive Officer
Felipe Wagner	Graft Brandlab GmbH	Senior Project Lead
Maximilian Grieb	Graft Brandlab GmbH	Head of Client Service
Alexandra Uzunoglu	Graft Brandlab GmbH	Strategy Director
Helene Haas	Graft Brandlab GmbH	Strategist
Jörg Dengler	Graft Brandlab GmbH	Creative Director
David Steingrüber	Graft Brandlab GmbH	Senior Designer
Marvin Bratke	Graft Brandlab GmbH	Head of Architecture
Rangel Karaivanov	Graft Brandlab GmbH	Senior Architect
Philip Hohmann	Graft Brandlab GmbH	Senior Architect
Lucas Confurius	Graft Brandlab GmbH	Architect
Liljana Nastova	Graft Brandlab GmbH	Architect

Background

Ground-based vertiport infrastructure is critical to the success of future urban air mobility, including air taxi operations in congested cities. Air taxi pioneer Volocopter needed a design for the physical landing infrastructure for their eVTOL multicopters. The main objective of the project is to give both the client and the visitors of the building a clear vision on how a well-connected multimodal and multi-usage node between urban mobility and future urban air mobility could operate, look, and feel like. For eVTOLs, the VoloPort not only provides a place to take off and land, but battery charging facilities as well.

Describe the creative idea (40% of vote)

The VoloPort enables visitors to sense and experience the brand vision, strategy and positioning. By showcasing future technologies not yet well-known, but linked to the present through the physical space, the brand creates a link and long-term commitment with its potential costumers. The modular design can be easily adapted to fit rooftops, railway stations, parking lots and other metropolitan locations. The flexibility in its size makes it attractive for different investors, such as hotel chains and airport operators. Each VoloPort will accommodate a wide range of electric air taxis, serving business travelers, tourists and anyone else looking for a fast and safe way of transportation in congested cities worldwide.

Describe the execution (40% of vote)

The design of the architecture, as well as all services along the whole customer journey, link ground to air infrastructure in the smoothest way possible. Passengers experience the connection to the sky through the design. Being still an unknown technology for the majority of the future passengers, the materials used should feel solid, familiar, and provide a perception of security. Travelers should always be able to keep a visual connection to the Volocopter, from the moment they approach the building and until they step into the air taxi. The digital elements of the VoloPort are designed to offer a seamless passenger experience, using the most modern safety and security processes to check in and/or book a flight. The prototype size presented here is 22,4m x 22,4m and its height varies between 5,28m (max) and 4,18m (min).

List the results (20% of vote)

For Volocopter to have unveiled the first public prototype of a landing port for aircraft which can land or take off vertically, underlines their role as leaders in the field. For consumers, to connect Volocopter to their first experience of the physical space where air mobility will take off, will create long-term commitment and identification of the category with the brand. To design and present a building holding a function which is still to be realized, and therefore no association with an experience, brings the future one step closer. The original briefing was focused on function and prototyping of a VoloPort. The final result relates the building to the brand development, and creates a characterizing design and image of a physical landing infrastructure for eVTOLs.