SCULPTING THE PORSCHE 911 S/C CABRIO

Natalie Hoch
2 hours ago
3 min read

WHEN AN OPEN CAR BECOMES A NEW SCULPTURAL CHALLENGE

For years, one particular idea remained one of the biggest challenges for Advanced Canvas:

creating an open vehicle sculpture with a fully detailed interior.

With the Porsche 911 S/C Cabrio, that idea finally became reality.

Unlike a closed vehicle sculpture, a Cabrio reveals almost everything. The seats, dashboard, steering wheel and entire interior architecture become visible parts of the sculpture. Structures that would normally remain hidden are suddenly exposed, while delicate sections and complex geometries push the possibilities of sculptural concrete to their limits.

Creating the 911 S/C Cabrio therefore required us to further develop many of the techniques we had established over the previous years and adapt them to the open vehicle architecture.

AN EXTENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

What appears effortless and reduced in the finished sculpture is the result of an extensive design and development process.

The digital 3D data required particularly detailed development due to the complexity of the open vehicle architecture.

The complete model consists of more than 60 individual components, which had to be designed, produced, assembled and carefully coordinated throughout the development process.

Several physical prototypes were created during development, allowing forms, details and surfaces to be gradually refined and improved.

By the time the final master model was completed, more than 700 hours of design, engineering and craftsmanship had gone into the project, before the first final sculpture could even be cast.

Throughout the development process, expertise from different disciplines contributed to the realization of the sculpture.

AUTOMOTIVE ART MEETS GERMAN ENGINEERING

Our background in automotive design continues to influence the way we develop our sculptures.

Rather than approaching the 911 S/C Cabrio purely as an art object, we followed a development process inspired by the automotive industry: combining design, engineering, prototyping and continuous refinement.

This development-driven approach allowed us to further push the boundaries of what can be achieved with concrete and to create solutions specifically for the unique complexity of the open vehicle architecture.

During its development, the sculpture was even inspected by the German TÜV - an unusual step for an art object and an example of the care and attention to detail that went into the project.

CONCRETE, CARBON AND HAND-CAST METAL

Concrete remains at the heart of the sculpture, giving each piece its characteristic surface and individual appearance.

Internally, the structure is reinforced with carbon fiber, while a carbon frame at the rear provides additional stability and protects the edges of the concrete body.

The open interior creates particular challenges when reproducing its numerous details. Some geometries of the original vehicle are simply too complex to reproduce accurately through conventional concrete casting. Fine details and complex undercuts would require compromises in their execution.

As with previous Advanced Canvas sculptures,like the GT3 RS, the 911 S/C Cabrio therefore incorporates hand-cast metal jewelry components. With the interior fully exposed, these elements play an especially important role in this model.

The individual components are produced using traditional jewelry casting techniques. After casting, each piece is separated, refined by hand, sandblasted, primed and finally finished with automotive paint.

What originally emerged from technical requirements has developed over the years into a characteristic element of the design language of our sculptures.

Inside the cabin, the concentration of these hand-cast components deliberately increases around the driver's position, emphasizing the center of the driving experience.

CONTINUING TO PUSH THE LIMITS OF CONCRETE

Advanced Canvas has spent years developing its own approach to working with concrete.

More than 250 early prototypes and numerous material experiments formed the foundation for specialized techniques in mold construction and concrete processing. These techniques allow us to achieve a level of precision and surface quality rarely associated with the material.

For the 911 S/C Cabrio, these techniques were adapted and further developed to meet the particular requirements of an open vehicle sculpture.

Its open architecture, exposed interior and delicate structures make the model one of the most demanding projects we have realized to date.

The result is a sculptural tribute to the timeless elegance of the Porsche 911 S/C Cabrio, combining automotive design, traditional craftsmanship and modern development in a single object.