“Gateway to Venice’s Waterway” marks the inaugural result of the creative collaboration between the Norman Foster Foundation and Porsche. Architects from the Foundation and designers from the renowned sports car manufacturer have joined forces to envision the future of urban mobility. The outcome is a striking construction that serves as a vision for a transportation hub in Venice. This installation, part of Porsche’s design and art initiative “The Art of Dreams,” will be showcased during the opening week of the Biennale.
The installation, titled Gateway to Venice’s Waterway, responds to the transportation challenges currently facing the Italian city, aiming to spark a conversation about sustainable urban transformation. At 37 meters long, the piece physically embodies the intersection of design and architecture while evoking Venice’s historic bridge network. The visual hub also functions as a gateway to e-mobility, facilitating the connection to new electric modes of transportation on both land and water. Among the innovations featured are water bikes (Schiller bikes) and electric sports boats (Frauscher x Porsche 850 Fantom Air, powered by the all-electric drive of the Porsche Macan Turbo). These emission-free mobility solutions will be in operation during the Biennale’s opening week. Additionally, alternative urban transportation concepts developed by students from Style Porsche and Studio F.A. Porsche Zell am See will be displayed.
Visitors to the Vernissage at Palazzo Pisani Moretta will have the opportunity to explore the design and construction process of the installation, which will also be showcased at the Gateway in the Arsenale.
Michael Mauer, Vice President of Style Porsche, reflects on the collaboration: “Porsche is a brand that thrives on the balance between tradition and innovation. As a design team, we are always exploring how to shape the future of our brand in terms of identity and authenticity. The exchange with Lord Norman Foster and his team has been an invaluable source of inspiration, pushing us to think beyond pure vehicle design and guiding the future direction of our brand.”
Lord Norman Foster, the British architect behind the project, shares his vision: “Dreaming awakens a sense of limitless possibilities and the courage to imagine what does not yet exist. It’s about imagining bold solutions to seemingly insurmountable challenges. In this project, dreaming meant imagining a Venice where historic preservation and advanced mobility coexist. We’ve created a blueprint for urban innovation that respects the past while embracing the future.”
This collaboration also marks the beginning of a broader partnership. The Norman Foster Foundation and Porsche will continue to explore the future of the automobile, with joint sketches on display that offer a glimpse into their vision for the future of individual mobility. These sketches lay the groundwork for the future of their partnership.
Titled Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective, this year’s Biennale Architettura theme is reflected in the installation, interpreting the fusion of dreams and reality, inspired by nature and technology. Sustainability takes center stage, with a notable focus on the use of recycled materials and environmentally friendly systems in both the construction and operation of the hub. These sustainable practices draw inspiration from the lightweight design concept of the Porsche 908. Much like the lattice tube frame of the legendary race car, a solid aluminum structure forms the backbone of the installation. A kinetic surface, inspired by the cube pattern of the new Macan, minimizes environmental impact while maximizing resource efficiency.
This initiative is not just a response to Venice’s challenges but is part of a broader global vision. The aim is to demonstrate how visionary design can reconcile the complex demands of modern urban life with sustainability.
“The Art of Dreams” first debuted in October 2021 in Paris at the Palais Galliera with Cyril Lancelin’s installation Remember Your Dreams. Each edition of the initiative invites an artist or collective to create an installation based on the theme of dreams. “The Art of Dreams” has been featured at major art platforms such as Singapore Art Week, Milan Design Week, Art Basel Miami, the Design Parade Hyères festival, and Frieze Seoul. Previous collaborations have included artists like Ruby Barber, Chris Labrooy, Numen/For Use, Thomas Trum, Capsule Global, Audrey Large, Theóphile Blandet, Ezra Miller, Kwang Ho Lee, and Niceworkshop.
