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From Forest to Future: The Innovative Design of World of Volvo in Gothenburg

Every person on this planet enjoys the fundamental right to experience nature in its true form, sans all distracting elements, and potentially destructive practices.

Embodying that right to its fullest, AB Volvo and Volvo Cars joined hands to develop ‘World of Volvo’ – a new meeting place and experience centre under construction in Gothenburg, Sweden

 

Featured Image World of Volvo | BeautexWood

 

AB Volvo, the Swedish conglomerate, has set out to showcase their brand’s values, history, tradition, and the bright future they look forward to – all with a single innovative structure. That’s quite a feat, isn’t it? 

At the first sweeping look, it all seems a little far-fetched, but the construction of the building already started in Spring 2021. It’s safe to expect the completed structure opening its gates to the general public in early 2024. 

Allemansträtten: The Freedom to Roam

 

pnklvpzdjac1yynj9cvz | BeautexWood

 

The architects behind this lofty project kept the Swedish concept of “Allemansträtten” in mind, celebrating people’s freedom to roam freely and giving them the space that allows easy accessibility to nature.

It calls for a fundamental right to enjoy public or private land for the purpose of staying close to nature. This delightful concept became the cornerstone around which the design of the World of Volvo revolves.

Inside the World of Volvo: Building Materials

 

volvo upplevelsecenter | BeautexWood

 

Occupying almost 22,000m2 of area, the complete structure has been built using the most treasured of nature’s gifts to us – Timber. Due to the sheer strength and durability they are known for, the beams and columns used in the building are Glued Laminated Timber, also known as Glulam.

Glulam gets its strength due to the several layers of lumber and the exhaustive binding process it goes through. These beams are resistant to rot, moisture, and perform extremely well in fire. The architects, thus, are truly to be congratulated for their choice of building materials for the project. The wooden members contain hidden metal connectors as well, that further advance the levels of rigidity the structure possesses.

But wait, what about the floors?

Yes, you guessed it right. For a structure so ingeniously and aesthetically designed, it makes sense the floors too are completely clad in wood, the slabs made from locally sourced Cross Laminated Timber.

Coming from the Associate Design Director, Martin Stenberg Ringér himself,

“Our goal was to give form to something very essential to the Swedish spirit. World of Volvo’s circular, the timber materiality, its integration with the landscape, and, fundamentally, its openness – these things are all parts of a core collective identity.”

World of Volvo Embraces Sweden’s Tradition of Timber Construction

 

csm Lindner Volvo 2022 05 23 by badenfelt 6606 a96ace81ea | BeautexWood

 

Like many Nordic countries, Sweden too has a long running history of embracing the building material nature has provided us with and infusing it with innovation. Henning Larsen, the Swedish Architecture and design studio, revealed a similar sentiment with the design of the building.

The lead architect at Henning Larsen went on to comment on the timber renaissance that architecture today is going through. It’s time to celebrate newer, higher, and more innovative milestones in timber construction that are being reached at, in his own words, a “breakneck speed.”

 

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