Air Taxi VoloPort

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Project type

Vertiports, infrastructure, mobility architecture

Location

Worldwide

Time

Ongoing

Client

Volocopter GmbH

Status

2021: Commission for VoloPort together with Arup and Bayards Aluminium Constructies

2019: First prototype built in Singapore by GRAFT Brandlab

2018: Competition, 1st prize, together with GRAFT Brandlab and Arup

Renderings

bloomimages Berlin GmbH

Awards

International Design Award IDA 2021: Honorable Mention

The German eVTOL design company Volocopter is a pioneer of Urban Air Mobility and develops fully electric vertical take-off aircraft as a mobility solution for use in urban areas. As a hub for the Volocopter aircraft, the VoloPort vertiport was devised by GRAFT in collaboration with Volocopter, Arup and Bayards Aluminium Constructies.

The VoloPort is part of the Volocopter urban air mobility infrastructure network and acts as a gateway within the public realm. Suited to the constraints of densely populated areas, its compact, modular and expandable design can be employed in a variety of inner-city locations – either on the ground, on the roof of a high-rise building or on a floating, water-based platform.

The exterior of the VoloPort features dynamic lines in horizontal, vertical, and diagonal planes. By connecting earth and sky, this gesture inspires passengers to anticipate the experience of flight, while the distinctive lighting concept will make it into an easily recognizable landmark atop of skyscrapers, parking garages and floating platforms. Retaining all key design elements across all configurations and sizes, the fully functional, branded unit incorporates all necessary passenger services and aircraft operations, such as battery swapping and charging, elevating platforms for maintenance, and fire detection and rescue. The VoloPort is tailored to act as a hub for the VoloCity and VoloConnect aircraft, and may also accommodate other aircraft.

The design of the VoloPort allows for different configurations, enabling adaptability to regulatory changes.

Each unit can be configurated on a single level or on multiple levels. Multiple level units are arranged into three elements that divide different functions: the plinth, the terminal, and the platform. The plinth is of varying heights and is designed to distribute loads according to the specific location, especially when sited on constrained decks or existing constructions. The terminal is connected to the FATO (Final Approach and Take-Off) platform on the upper deck by a perforated material that allows sufficient air flow to prevent turbulence. Both the terminal units and the platform are made from pre-assembled lightweight modules.

While the VoloPort offers an expandable, network-ready vertiport solution for dense urban areas, it can also be employed next to transport terminals in rural locations.

Project partners

Georg Schmidthals, Lars Krückeberg, Wolfram Putz, Thomas Willemeit

Design Lead

Marta Piaseczynska

Project Lead

Sebastian Massmann

Project Team

Julia Korpacka, Tatiana Lebedeva