CarTowers

I just came across this and found it fairly innovative and impressive. As a site location it would be awesome (no chance!)... 60 metres high, it can store up to 400 vehicles and collect a car from its position in 60seconds!

Image from Msn News website

'The CarTowers is a 20-story tall car storage tower in Wolfsburg, Germany. It’s owned & operated by Volkswagen, which explains why all the cars – around 800 at full capacity – are VWs. The CarTowers has often been used to illustrate public parking garages of the future even though it’s a private endeavor that merely allows VW to save space.

Built of steel and glass, the CarTowers is just one part of the Autostadt, a unique, “Car World” style attraction that includes a variety of car-related attractions. Visitors who fork over a few Euros get to enjoy The TurmFahrt (or CarTower Discovery, though I prefer the German name) and embark on the same trip a shiny new VW takes when slated for a slot in the CarTowers.

Certainly the footprint left by the CarTowers is much less than that of a standard car park, even multi-level parking garages such as those at airports. Without the winding ramps a tremendous amount of space can be saved. VW’s system should be workable for public lots though the expense may be prohibitive.'

- WebUrbanist.com

I intend to go and visit the CarTowers when I go to Berlin...