Exhibition: From racing driver to publisher

In mid-1946, three motorsport enthusiasts – Paul Pietsch, Ernst Troeltsch and Josef Hummel – founded Motor-sport GmbH in Freiburg. They were thus among the pioneers of the magazine industry in Germany, and their magazine DAS AUTO, now known as AUTO MOTOR UND SPORT, was one of the first magazines on the German-speaking market after 1945. The first issue was published in December 1946. Over the course of 75 years, this pioneering achievement has grown into a media house with a diverse, modern product range.&

MOTOR PRESSE STUTTGART is today one of the most progressive and successful special-interest media houses, and its portfolio of over 30 media brands includes AUTO MOTOR UND SPORT, MOTORRAD, MEN’S HEALTH, PROMOBIL, FLUG REVUE, OUTDOOR, CAVALLO and MOOVE by AUTO MOTOR UND SPORT. The brands focus on four thematic areas: mobility, active leisure, sport and lifestyle. True to the slogan >Specialised in passion< the media house is constantly expanding its existing brand worlds. This ranges from the current print magazines through the rapidly growing digital offerings and services to events and conferences and many other formats. To mark the 75th anniversary of MOTOR PRESSE STUTTGART, an exhibition in the foyer of the editorial building tells the exciting story of the media house. On the one hand, the exhibition should be striking and vibrant; on the other, it must not become too dominant. The history of the company is closely interwoven with the publisher Paul Pietsch, yet it describes not only his work but also the company’s successful development into a modern special-interest media house. The target audience comprises the publishing house’s employees, their business partners and their guests. 

In the implementation, we pay close attention to the building’s architecture. What is the layout of the space, what should be highlighted, what can take a back seat? What happens upstairs, what on the ground floor? How do we play with tradition, experience, modernity and scale? What allows visitors to immerse themselves in the history? The lines of sight and visual impact are crucial: The first impression is conveyed even as one walks past quickly; eye-catchers encourage immersion, whilst detailed information is revealed upon closer inspection. Less is more! For only in this way can the carefully selected exhibits, such as Paul Pietsch’s winner’s trophies, be given the appropriate prominence and undivided attention. We divide the foyer into two exhibition areas, each introduced by an information pillar. In the left section, the eventful history of the racing driver and publishing house founder Paul Pietsch is recounted. The special highlight is the Bugatti Type 53 racing car, which can be experienced through augmented reality. On the right-hand side, the history of the publishing house up to the present-day media company is presented. The concept: “From racing driver to publisher”. 

A timeline in the upper part of the foyer connects both areas. The most important key figures and all media brands from the last 75 years are impressively displayed. The linear presentation of each media brand creates an overall impression that vividly illustrates the size, growth and diversity of the company. The four categories are assigned four colours in our easy-to-understand information design, allowing visitors to identify the magazines’ affiliations immediately and intuitively. Four banners on the right-hand side of the foyer highlight the categories of mobility, active leisure, sport and lifestyle. Their width visualises the relative importance of each area. A chest of drawers contains the first issues of the magazines in each category. All other media brands can be experienced via a large screen. Here, everything revolves around emotions, passion and experiences – endless roads with new cars, classic cars, motorbikes, aeroplanes in the sky, horses in lush pastures, bouldering on rugged rock faces, camping in the wild. The highlight of this page is the presentation of the 360° media world on a globe one metre in diameter. It showcases the entire media world of MOTOR PRESSE STUTTGART and impressively illustrates the tension between print and rapidly growing digital formats, live events, conferences and many other formats. 

75 years of MOTOR PRESSE STUTTGART: From the initial concept through to layout and design, the architectural spatial planning, the definition and planning of display furniture, as well as motion design and film editing, right through to the construction of the exhibition, VISUELL is realising a production planned as a temporary exhibition, which may even become a permanent exhibition