The Norman Foster Foundation and Porsche present an architectural installation

‘Gateway to Venice’s Waterway’ is the name of the first result of the creative collaboration between the Norman Foster Foundation and Porsche. Architects from the Foundation and designers from the sports car manufacturer have worked together on the future of urban mobility. The result is an unusual construction that represents the vision of a transportation hub for Venice. The installation is part of Porsche’s design and art initiative, ‘The Art of Dreams’ and will be shown during the Biennale vernissage.

‘Gateway to Venice’s Waterway’ is a response to the current transport challenges facing the Italian port city and aims to initiate a discourse on sustainable urban change. The 37-metre-long installation is the physical manifestation of the intersection between design and architecture and is also reminiscent of Venice’s historic network of bridges. The visual hub acts as a gateway to e-mobility by creating a connection to new electric means of transportation on land and water. These include water bikes (Schiller bikes) and electric sports boats (Frauscher x Porsche 850 Fantom Air with the all-electric drive of the Porsche Macan Turbo). During the opening week of the Biennale, these will be used as emission-free mobility solutions. Other alternative ideas for urban transportation will also be on display, developed by students from Style Porsche and Studio F.A. Porsche Zell am See.

Taurus by Julia Mayer, 2025, Porsche AG
Taurus by Julia Mayer: Taurus is a fun sports device designed to encourage children aged six to 10 to enjoy exercise. Riding in an upright position promotes strength, endurance, bone growth and coordination.
Porsche Design Fusion by Johan Schwind, 2025, Porsche AG
Porsche Design Fusion by Johan Schwind: The aircraft utilises ground effect to safely and efficiently glide above the water surface at speeds of up to 250 km/h. The high-quality carbon-fibre construction offers space for three passengers.
CENO by Sina Kunert, 2025, Porsche AG
CENO by Sina Kunert: CENO is a modular system for three different boat variants, specifically designed for parents and children, aimed at promoting shared experiences. Working together to solve shared tasks strengthens family bonds and builds trust.
P3 by Daniel Bründl, 2025, Porsche AG
P3 by Daniel Bründl: P3 is a unique tricycle that expands the possibilities of human-powered transport, created in response to the ever-changing challenges of urban mobility – such as increasing fuel prices and the lack of adequate parking.
P’gasus by Steffen Ganz, 2025, Porsche AG
P’gasus by Steffen Ganz: P’gasus aims to provide a transport solution for individuals with paraplegia, as an alternative to conventional wheelchairs, allowing users to move around in a standing position. The device uses hand-operated controls combined with an actively controlled electric drive system in the form of hub motors (similar to Segway).
S’TORM by Martin Pabis, 2025, Porsche AG
S’TORM by Martin Pabis: The lightweight S’TORM is powered solely by the force of the wind. Thanks to an innovative steering mechanism, the driver experiences a unique, dynamic driving sensation.
P‘5200 Pure Sailing by Stephan Everwin, 2025, Porsche AG
P‘5200 Pure Sailing by Stephan Everwin: A sailing yacht that can be transported on a Cayenne trailer and offers two modes of propulsion: Pure Sailing starts off in performance mode to compete in the P‘5200 racing series and transforms seamlessly into a floating lounge to relax after the race.
IDS aquatic skin by Ana Carolina Velasquez Flores, 2025, Porsche AG
IDS aquatic skin by Ana Carolina Velasquez Flores: The diving system combines the highest degree of safety with maximum freedom, allowing divers to experience their surroundings to the fullest. It is designed specifically with research divers in mind.
Taurus by Julia Mayer, 2025, Porsche AG
Taurus by Julia Mayer: Taurus is a fun sports device designed to encourage children aged six to 10 to enjoy exercise. Riding in an upright position promotes strength, endurance, bone growth and coordination.
Porsche Design Fusion by Johan Schwind, 2025, Porsche AG
Porsche Design Fusion by Johan Schwind: The aircraft utilises ground effect to safely and efficiently glide above the water surface at speeds of up to 250 km/h. The high-quality carbon-fibre construction offers space for three passengers.

Documentation of the design process and construction will be shown to guests during the vernissage at Palazzo Pisani Moretta and the Gateway at the Arsenale.

Norman Foster, Michael Mauer, Vice President, Style Porsche,
‘Porsche is and remains a brand that is characterised by a highly demanding field of tension between tradition and innovation,’ says Michael Mauer, Vice President, Style Porsche. ‘This means that we as a design team are constantly dealing with the question of how we can strategically shape the future of our brand in terms of identity and authenticity. The exchange with Lord Norman Foster and his team is a very valuable source of inspiration. This look beyond the confines of pure vehicle design provides us with important impulses for the consistent, but also future-oriented direction of our brand.’

‘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,’ says British architect Lord Norman Foster. ‘In this project, dreaming meant imagining a Venice where historic preservation and advanced mobility coexist. We have created a blueprint for urban innovation that respects the past while embracing the future.’

As the start of a new joint venture, Gateway also initiates discussions beyond architecture: the Norman Foster Foundation and Porsche will expand their collaboration and explore the future of the automobile. On display are joint sketches that outline a vision for the future of individual mobility. They form the cornerstone for the continuation of the partnership.

Porsche collaborates with the Norman Foster Foundation
The eighth edition of the design and art initiative “The Art of Dreams” is envisioned by the Norman Foster Foundation.