Audi lands a UFO at Porto Venezia

For the thirteenth year, Audi has come to Milan Design Week and wowed visitors with an installation by a famous architecture firm, and also showed some of its latest models for review.

This year Audi hired Zaha Hadid Architects to design a pavilion that definitely has an out-of-this- world look about it. The ovoid-shaped structure, despite its egg-like appearance does a excellent job of shape-shifting as you walk around it. This is partially the structure itself, and partially about the way it obliquely sits in its reflecting pool. The pavilion sits in contrast to the mannered classical-style courtyard of the former Archiespicopal Seminary which itself has been transformed into the ultra-luxe Portrait Hotel.

The matte-silver finish of the curved panels avoids garish and odd reflections, which would give the structure a kind of funhouse-mirror effect. Instead, it suggests materials like titanium, or the elegant matte finish of the recent Concept C sports car.

Indeed, the Concept C was exactly the vehicle that we hoped was waiting for us inside. But, alas, there were no vehicles inside, but a sound and light show that emerged from the black ribbed-like structure that lined the interior. There was a certain Jonah-in-the belly-of-the-whale feel about the interior, although, unlike the Biblical prophet ,you could escape out the opposite doorway (without Divine Intervention) and look at the Audi cars parked nearby.

And what cars they are: Audi’s new RS 5 touring estate, the first high-performance plug-in hybrid from the marque. And diagonally across the courtyard was Audi’s latest Formula 1 car, the R 26, which looked both sleek and slightly menacing.

As for any aliens, they were conspicuous by their absence, perhaps negotiating a surrender with the remnants of the Sforza family, who ruled Milan for so long. If this is the level of design they’re bringing, we say wave the white flag and welcome a new era of design. Audi couldn’t agree more.