GOTHENBURG, Sweden—Volvo is woven into the fabric of this Nordic city on the Kattegat shores, and in just a few months, the shared brand will celebrate a shared gathering place right in the heart of the city: World of Volvo.
Volvo Trucks treated North American trucking journalists to a sneak peek of the five-story, 22,000 square-meter (72,128 sq.ft.) cultural meeting place that celebrates Volvo Trucks, cars, and other equipment first built here nearly 100 years ago. The building will be a new Gothenburg landmark situated in the center of Gothenburg’s new entertainment strip.
“I think we have come quite far in these 100 years,” Volvo Trucks President Roger Alm said during a separate media briefing in the building next to where the first Volvo vehicles were built. “Now we are producing heavy-duty electrical trucks. It is a tremendous development that we have seen in the transport industry during these years.”
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The circular World of Volvo building, where no two rooms are alike, will host exhibitions, shows, and events in its conference rooms, event hall, bistro, and restaurant. It was designed by Danish architect Henning Larsen to have a light and airy Scandinavian feel, using natural materials.
It will feature two exhibition areas, two restaurants, outdoor plazas and roof terraces, shopping, six conference rooms, an event hall that could host concerts and other happenings, a broadcast studio, a lounge, a co-working space, and a Volvo product experience area.
It is scheduled to open on April 14, 2024—the 97th anniversary of the first Volvo car drove out of the Gothenburg factory gates. One year later, the first Volvo Truck was built. In 1999, the Volvo cars spun off from Volvo Group, but the two companies still share the same branding—and city.
After it opens next year, Volvo Truck leaders said it will be a major attraction for tourists and visitors to Gothenburg, along with the residents—thousands of whom work for the two companies. It will also be a place to showcase Volvo’s latest trucks and technologies.
The building is being constructed focusing on sustainability and will feature several energy-saving measures, including a green roof with vegetation and solar panels. It will also be built using recycled materials and will be LEED-certified. The companies expect it to draw more than 100,000 visitors per year.
