Innovation

Volkswagen's car towers are a beautiful new way to shop

The Autostadt at the Volkswagon factory is home to the first-of-its-kind car tower, where customers can pick out their new ride straight from the maker.

Written by Beth Carter, Contributing Editor Jan. 29, 2012 at 6:48 a.m. PT

Wolfsburg, Germany, is the home to the Volkswagen factory, the largest car manufacturer in Europe. Adjacent to the factory is the incredible Autostadt, a tourist attraction comprised of two emblematic CarTowers (AutoTurme), a museum, and pavilions for Volkswagen's (VW) major brands like Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley, and Bugatti.

The CarTowers, however, are the main focus. The glazed, highrise garages house 400 cars each, and are the heart of vehicle delivery at the Autostadt. Inside the towers, new technology helps VW transport new vehicles in and out of their spaces at a speed of two meters a second.

Visitors can explore the tower via a panoramic glass elevator, and are eventually taken to an observation deck on the twentieth floor, giving a view of the factory, the town of Wolfsburg and the surrounding countryside.

Each tower is a 200 feet tall silo that is connected by the factory by an underground tunnel. Customers in Europe can choose to buy a new VW from a local dealership or to travel to the Autostadt to chose their car and pick it up there.

Should you choose to pick up your new car in Wolfsburg, VW gives you free entrance, meal tickets and tickets to events around the complex.

Other car-related attractions include "An exhibition of the definitive car classics allows a view into the past; artworks and films stimulate discussion; interactive research stations offer opportunities for experimentation; and exciting productions, like the Movimentos Festival Weeks and the Themenkommunikation."

See more photos of this ingenious design below: