"Phaeno-menal" Science Centre Opens Doors Soon

WOLFSBURG, Germany, October 21 --

- Volkswagen Group is Main Sponsor of Wolfsburg's Phaeno Experimental Experience

The Phaeno experimental experience, Germany's largest science centre, will open its doors in Wolfsburg on 24 November 2005. 250 experiment stations await discovery in the exceptional building designed by star architect Zaha Hadid (London). The concept for this interactive experience was created by American curator Joe Ansel. Volkswagen is Phaeno's exclusive main sponsor and co-designer of the "Cone One" room where visitors experience a new dimension of the senses.

Phaeno brings children and adults entertaining insights into scientific phenomena and technological principles. "Cone One" visitors encounter experiences such as eye tracking, a graphic presentation tracing how the eye moves when looking at an image, or how the world looks completely different when viewed through giant colour filters, or how the "Disco" platform turns forward motion into backward movement.

Volkswagen Design has created "Cone One" in cooperation with Phaeno. Commenting on this commitment, Group Design Head Murat Günak said: "Today, the fascination for technical and scientific phenomena must be stimulated in many ways. Design plays an important role by making these phenomena more attractive, easier to understand and tangible for all the senses. We were particularly delighted to have been given the opportunity to design a room like this interacting with the exciting architecture of Zaha Hadid."

Describing the partnership with Volkswagen, Dr. Wolfgang Guthardt, Phaeno initiator and Director, said: "Volkswagen is in the immediate vicinity of Phaeno. Jointly designing "Cone One" in particular has transformed a visual contact into a living partnership. Phaeno is a city of Wolfsburg investment, but the commitment of partners such as Volkswagen in the form of a public-private partnership allows the continuous evolution of all that makes a centre such as Phaeno a fascinating and dynamic experience."

For Volkswagen AG, supporting culture and science is part of the maintained tradition. That is why the Group became involved in the Phaeno innovative partnership model where culture and science are brought together in an exciting and entertaining way.

Photos:

Photos are now available at www.volkswagen-media-services.com; User ID: phaeno, password: coneone. User ID and password are valid until 1 December 2005.

Picture is distributed via EPA (European Pressphoto Agency) and is available at:

http://www.presseportal.de/story.htx?firmaid=9260&keygroup=bild

    
    Volkswagen Group Communications
    Public Relations
    Contact: Christiane Krebs-Hartmann
    Phone: +49-(0)-53-61-92-54-91
    Fax:   +49-(0)-53-61-92-20-90
    E-mail: christiane.krebs-hartmann@volkswagen.de

Volkswagen Group Communications: Public Relations, Contact: Christiane Krebs-Hartmann, Phone: +49-(0)-53-61-92-54-91, Fax: +49-(0)-53-61-92-20-90, E-mail: christiane.krebs-hartmann@volkswagen.de