Dezeen Magazine

Porsche 911s fixed to steel frame to create streamlined sculpture by Gerry Judah

Three sports cars appear to soar up into the sky outside auto brand Porsche's museum in Stuttgart as part of this sculpture by British artist and designer Gerry Judah.

Porsche sculpture by Gerry Judah

The Porscheplatz sculpture comprises six supporting legs made out of lightweight steel. Each gradually gets wider towards the sculpture's highest point where three iconic generations of the Porsche 911 model are fixed.

Porsche sculpture by Gerry Judah

The cars were each fitted with an inner steel beam, enabling a secure connection to the 25-metre-high monocoque shell, while also acting to distribute weight more evenly.

Porsche sculpture by Gerry Judah

Judah frequently designs motoring-related sculptures, most notably for the Goodwood Festival of Speed – an annual event in England dedicated to car enthusiasts.

"This design is a variation of the one I made for Goodwood Festival of Speed 2013, which Porsche were very keen on," Judah told Dezeen.

Porsche sculpture by Gerry Judah

Unlike the sculpture unveiled two years ago, which was designed to be viewed from its front and rear, Judah's latest structure is located on a roundabout, meaning passersby can see it from all angles.

Porsche sculpture by Gerry Judah

"I responded to this challenge by having each element shooting through each other," said Judah. "It allows viewers to enjoy the cars wherever they stand."

Porsche sculpture by Gerry Judah

The 80-tonne prefabricated structure is made up of eight parts that were built in England and shipped to Germany for assembly on site.

Porsche sculpture by Gerry Judah

Each leg slims at the base, becoming narrow enough for a person to wrap their hands around.

"The challenge of bringing together a sense of dynamics, height and danger inspired the design," said Judah. "I hope people will be excited by it."

Porsche sculpture by Gerry Judah

Other giant sculptures designed by the artist include an arching steel structure featuring two Mercedes Benz racing cars positioned to look like they are hurtling past each other, a white knotted sculpture of a race track and a 28-metre-high installation of the Jaguar E-Type car.

Photography is by David Barbour.


Project credits:

Client: Porsche
Design: Gerry Judah
Engineering: Capita CAPITA
Logistics: Fichtner Bauconsulting
Fabrication and installation: Littlehampton welding