VoloPort Prototype (Competition 1st prize) – GRAFT

VoloPort Prototype (Competition 1st prize)

Graft Brandlab

Brand design

Mobility

Research

Iconic

Project type

Vertiports, infrastructure, mobility architecture

Status

Completed

Competition 1st Prize, together with GRAFT Brandlab and Arup

Location

Worldwide

Time

Ongoing

Renderings

GRAFT Brandlab/Skyports/Volocopter/GRAFT

Client

Volocopter GmbH

Photos

Nikolay Kazakov, Raphael Olivier

Video

Raphael Olivier & Vincent Baumont

Awards

International Design Award IDA 2021: Honorable Mention, German Innovation Award 2020: Gold, Automotive Brand Contest 2020: Best of Best, iF DESIGN Award 2020

The German urban air taxi company Volocopter has developed the first fully electronic, autonomous vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL), an ideal solution for use in urban areas. Together with GRAFT and Arup, the Berlin agency GRAFT Brandlab won the competition to design a modular vertiport concept for Volocopter.

The VoloPort concept combines lounge, security, and departure areas.

Photo © Raphael Olivier

The result is a flowing space that carefully orchestrates passenger experience and contributes to promoting acceptance of three-dimensional passenger transport.

Typologies

Modularity

The modular nature of VoloPorts enables a seamless integration of this new form of transport into the existing urban infrastructure. Potential implementation scenarios include railway stations, airports and unused roof surfaces, as well as floating VoloPorts mounted on pontoons—utilizing the free air corridors over rivers and other water surfaces.

Depending on the specific context, air taxis will depart from the VoloPort’s roof or an adjacent landing platform.

Photos © Nikolay Kazakov for Volocopter / Skyports

With their new VoloPort concept, Volocopter is making an important step towards a new airborne form of urban mobility based on electric energy.

Project partners

Thomas Willemeit, Georg Schmidthals, Lars Krückeberg, Wolfram Putz

Project lead

Marvin Bratke (project lead), Klemens Sitzmann (design lead)

Project Team

Nick Boer, Miloslav Cvetkovic, Daniel Finck, Ben Goern, Ivan-Felipe Ucrós Polley, Ahmed Rihan, Mohamed Elyes Zahrouni, Vlad Zangor