150 OCTOBER 2019
At the northern edge of the Black Forest sits Pforzheim, the home of
one of Germany’s largest public universities of applied science. When
you consider the school’s close proximity to Stuttgart, it’s no surprise that
many of its graduates have gone on to work for the likes of Porsche and
Mercedes-Benz, which both have their headquarters there. “When I started
my studies in 1984, Hochschule Pforzheim School of Design was the only
German, and maybe even Continental European, design college with a
high reputation,” says Steffen Köhl, class of 1988 and now the director of
advanced exterior design for Mercedes-Benz. Köhl has worked on such mod-
els as the SLR and CLK and now leads the charge for the company’s inter-
national design studios, series production vehicles and concept cars such as
the EQ Silver Arrow shown in 2018 at Pebble Beach, the F015 Luxury in
Motion, the Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury and the Vision Maybach
6 coupe and cabriolet.
To help preempt the tug-of-war that often takes place between design-“It is essential that a designer knows multiple
arts, especially when you work for a luxury brand
like Mercedes-Benz.”
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:
Steffen Köhl’s 2016
concept for the Vision
Mercedes-Maybach
6 coupe; his student
work from 1987; Köhl;
a rendering Köhl
made in 1987.Hochschule Pforzheim University
Baden-Württemberg, Germany
150 OCTOBER 2019
AtthenorthernedgeoftheBlackForestsitsPforzheim,thehomeof
oneofGermany’slargestpublicuniversitiesofappliedscience.When
youconsidertheschool’scloseproximitytoStuttgart,it’snosurprisethat
manyofitsgraduateshavegoneontoworkforthelikesofPorscheand
Mercedes-Benz,whichbothhavetheirheadquartersthere.“WhenIstarted
mystudiesin1984,HochschulePforzheimSchoolofDesignwastheonly
German,andmaybeeven Continental European,designcollegewith a
highreputation,”saysSteffenKöhl,classof 1988 andnowthedirectorof
advancedexteriordesignforMercedes-Benz.Köhlhasworkedonsuchmod-
elsastheSLRandCLKandnowleadsthechargeforthecompany’sinter-
nationaldesignstudios,seriesproductionvehiclesandconceptcarssuchas
theEQSilverArrowshownin 2018 atPebbleBeach,theF015Luxuryin
Motion,theMercedes-MaybachUltimateLuxuryandtheVisionMaybach
6 coupeandcabriolet.
Tohelppreemptthetug-of-warthatoftentakesplacebetweendesign-“It is essential that a designer knows multiple
arts, especially when you work for a luxury brand
like Mercedes-Benz.”
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:
Steffen Köhl’s 2016
concept for the Vision
Mercedes-Maybach
6 coupe; his student
work from 1987; Köhl;
a rendering Köhl
made in 1987.Hochschule Pforzheim University
Baden-Württemberg, Germany