Back in 2015 when Tom Gädtke, also known by his handle @onassisporsches, brought together 18 fellow enthusiasts for the first time at a car park in the Ruhr area, nobody expected the gathering to develop into one of the most unique Porsche events in Europe in the five years that followed. The community itself has always been at the heart of the event, with the ambition to create a new and extraordinary world to bring these people together every year.
Since 2015, Gädtke's event has been known as the "Tunnelrun", the "Triangle of Madness", "800" and in 2020 as "Airtimes". This year's meeting of Porsche fans was all about the Bauhaus architectural style and known as the "Weltausstellung", inspired by the Bauhaus movement and the German Pavilion at the Barcelona Expo in 1929.
The organisers used the world-famous aesthetic of Bauhaus to create the look of the event. It was held at the only industrial complex ever to be designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, which was built in Krefeld in 1931. The extraordinary set-up of this historic building is one of the most interesting things about it: Large sections of the main hall at the complex have been painstakingly restored to their original condition, while the adjacent industrial hall looks more like an abandoned ruin. The complex offered the ideal setting for the community to enjoy this year's unique event.
The principle "form follows function" shaped the Bauhaus architecture of the site as much as it did the design of the Porsche vehicles gathered at the event, most of which were vintage cars. As champions of timelessly classic design, Bauhaus and Porsche merged together perfectly at the "Weltausstellung" in Krefeld.
Exhibition of Porsche Classic
Outside the industrial complex, the community set the stage with its own collection of unique vehicles, while inside Gädtke's team had worked with Porsche Classic to create an innovative, artistic world that tied everything together: The exhibition included a 911 Turbo Coupé body shell that had been restored to its 1975 condition plus a 21-piece display with all of the artwork familiar from ORIGINALE magazines. Due to its status as a collector's item and its authentic look, this Porsche Classic magazine with an integrated parts catalogue has always been very popular with classic car fans ever since it was first launched. This year's visitors were excited to have access to the exclusive advanced publication of ORIGINALE 07, which they could even personalise using stamps produced especially for the event.
Next door in the completely unrestored section of the hall, visitors could admire some of the most famous, iconic off-road Porsche vehicles of all time and take photos up close to commemorate the unique collection. After all, it's not every day that you get to see a legendary Paris-Dakar 959 that took a 1-2 victory in the 1986 rally, a 911 SC Safari, a 953 4x4, two first-generation Cayenne models with some imaginative add-on parts, including film wraps designed by Style Porsche and a roof tent, plus two Taycan Cross Turismo models.
The atmosphere at the event could not have been more relaxed: More than 500 fans spent the afternoon wandering through the grounds outside the main building and through the halls inside, admiring all of the one-of-a-kind vehicles or enjoying the beautiful late summer weather on a test drive through Krefeld in the Taycan models.
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The Streetart.Motorsport.Revival series of events by Gädtke is set to continue in 2022 with another new name and another opportunity to write history together. Bringing the people together – ride on!
