A Porsche showroom designed to feel like a hotel

How Pilot Architects gave Porsche Centre Fredrikstad the acoustic comfort to match the brand's precision.

Porsche Center Fredrikstad Showroom Design | Case Studies

The Porsche Centre Fredrikstad showroom, where Rockfon Mono Acoustic runs as one continuous surface across the ceiling above the cars.

Destination Porsche, in Fredrikstad

When Porsche opened its new centre in Fredrikstad, Norway, the brief was clear: this had to feel like a destination, not a dealership. Customers should walk in and feel welcomed the way they would in a luxury hotel, free to sit, browse and explore at their own pace.

Pilot Architects worked within Porsche's global "Destination Porsche" design concept. Warm woods, natural hues, large clean surfaces, offices, meeting rooms and customer zones all unified by a single visual language.

"It's about creating a destination, not just a store. The customer should feel welcome like they would at a luxury hotel. The design should not be intrusive but rather inviting, and above all, consistent," said Ullrich Mende, architect and partner at Pilot Architects.

But the materials that create the Porsche aesthetic also make acoustic comfort difficult to deliver.

Hard surfaces and soft conversations

A showroom designed around hard, reverberant surfaces and high ceilings is a difficult environment for casual conversation. Customers want to ask questions, look at materials and discuss specifications without raising their voices.

Sales staff want to be heard clearly across the floor. Neither works well in a space where every sound bounces freely.

"Poor acoustics are not noticed immediately, but over time it becomes tiring. It's important that surfaces and ceilings also contribute to the calmness," said Mende.

The ceiling solution had to absorb sound across the entire showroom while fitting the seamless, monolithic aesthetic the brand demands. Anything with a visible grid or interrupted finish would have broken the design language.

Project info

Project name

Porsche Center Fredrikstad

Location

Fredrikstad, Norway

Architecture

Pilot Arkitekter

Installation

System 1 AS

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Products used

Rockfon® Mono Acoustic

View

Another view of the showroom, the seamless Mono Acoustic ceiling has a big impact on the visitor experience.

Lighting and ventilation integrated into the Rockfon Mono Acoustic surface, keeping the ceiling uninterrupted.

A meeting room with glass walls where Mono Acoustic above keeps speech clear.

Another view of the showroom, the seamless Mono Acoustic ceiling has a big impact on the visitor experience.

“Poor acoustics are not noticed immediately, but over time it becomes tiring. It's important that surfaces and ceilings also contribute to the calmness”

Ullrich Mende

— Architect and partner at Pilot Architects

One seamless ceiling across the showroom

Pilot Architects specified Rockfon Mono Acoustic in bright white across the entire ceiling. Its seamless surface fits the clean Porsche aesthetic while delivering Class A acoustic absorption throughout the space.

The product can be installed flat or curved, with integrated lighting, vents and other technical installations without breaking the monolithic finish. Its high light reflection also reduces the need for artificial lighting across the showroom.

In the meeting rooms and lounge areas, where customers and staff have one-to-one conversations across hard floors and glass walls, the same seamless Mono Acoustic ceiling keeps speech clear.

"We wanted large and continuous surfaces and were told about Rockfon Mono Acoustic, a solution that met both our aesthetic and acoustic needs," said Mende.

Close up of the Rockfon Mono Acoustic ceiling in the showroom. Lighting tracks and ventilation integrated seamlessly.

Noticed both by customers and staff

The result is a showroom where conversations stay quiet and clear, even across long sightlines and tall ceilings.

"Every detail was carefully considered and the acoustics are exemplary. Several customers have commented on how impressive the acoustics are in a space with such large surfaces and high ceilings. When both customers and colleagues from other stores notice it, we're extra proud," said Tommy Johansen, sales consultant at Porsche Centre Fredrikstad.

Also designing a showroom or retail space where acoustic comfort has to match the brand’s experience? Get in touch, and we'll help you find the right solution.