World of Volvo is a meeting place and experience centre in Gothenburg, Sweden, jointly developed by AB Volvo and Volvo Cars.
AB Volvo is a Swedish conglomerate engaged in manufacturing trucks, buses, and construction equipment, as well as marine and industrial engines.
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Volvo Cars was previously part of Volvo Group and sold to Ford Motor Company in 1999. Chinese automotive company Zhejiang Geely acquired Volvo Cars in 2010 and continues to own the company.
World of Volvo is designed to reflect the Volvo brand’s values and showcase the group’s history, tradition, and future under a single roof.
Construction of the building started in 2021. The facility opened to the public in April 2024.
World of Volvo location
World of Volvo is centrally located south of Liseberg, next to the E6 motorway in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The site is situated along Molndalsan, a river that flows between the Harryda, Molndal, and Gothenburg municipalities and into the Gota River.
World of Volvo design details
The World of Volvo design is deeply rooted in the Swedish principle of Allemansratten, emphasising the importance of shared access to nature. This ethos is reflected in the architectural homage to Sweden’s natural landscapes, with the building’s silhouette echoing the country’s dense forests and rugged granite. The structure itself is likened to a tree perched on a hill, with three tree-like pillars housing exhibits and facilitating movement within the space. These pillars are connected by sculptural staircases, surrounded by expansive open areas.
The architectural vision is brought to life through a circular layout, extensive use of timber, and a canopy-like roof, all of which foster a sense of unity with the environment. The building’s transparency is achieved with floor-to-ceiling glass facades, blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces.
Complementing the building, the surrounding landscape is dotted with indigenous flora interspersed among natural rock formations. Pathways crisscross the site, including a new walkway over the Molndalsan River, enhancing connectivity to Gothenburg’s core. This network of paths not only supports foot and bicycle traffic but also contributes to the ecological revitalisation of the riverbanks.
World of Volvo building materials
The World of Volvo is constructed entirely from timber and glass, rising from a solid foundation of environmentally considerate concrete. The beams and columns are built using glued laminated (glulam) timber (Austrian spruce), a wood product made from several layers of lumber. The layers are bonded by moisture-resistant structural adhesive.
Metal connectors hidden inside the wooden members offer rigidity and continuity to the structure. The floor slabs of the building are made from locally sourced cross-laminated timber (CLT).
World of Volvo features
World of Volvo is a multifunctional venue, spanning 22,000m² (236,806ft²), designed to host various events, including business conferences and large-scale functions.
It features an event hall with a capacity of up to 1,100 standing guests or 600 seated guests, meeting rooms, lounges, a broadcasting studio, a classroom, restaurants, and a merchandise shop. The event hall can be divided into two sections via a skyfold. The broadcasting studio named Streams is ideal for live broadcasts and smaller events with seating for 26 people.
The venue offers two 58m² rooms, Roots and Trees, for meetings, which can be combined to create a larger room called Woods, seating up to 88 guests. The smaller 50m² room, Hills is used for workshops or board meetings with a capacity of 28. The Creative Corner is a 72m² space designed for active participation and can accommodate up to 28 guests.
Other smaller rooms include a 47m² conference room named Meadows, a 46m² meeting room named Rocks, a 27m² meeting room named Fields, and a 25m² relaxing room named Cliffs.
World of Volvo also features a 4,500m² exhibition space, incorporating the Volvo Museum, showcasing Volvo’s history, innovations, and vision for the future. It includes interactive displays, historical exhibits, as well as iconic Volvo vehicles.
The venue is equipped for entertainment, including talk shows, conferences, and music events, and offers educational programmes and activities for children.
Guests can enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi, free storage lockers, and full accessibility features. The on-site restaurant, Ceno Brasserie at World of Volvo offers a range of Swedish and international dishes made using locally sourced ingredients. Additionally, there is the option to customise the conference package to meet specific needs.
Below the venue is the five-storey Liseberg Sodra car park with 1,500 parking spaces, including 160 with electric chargers. There are also several bicycle stands outside the venue.
Sustainable features at World of Volvo
The project is designed for leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) Gold level and Well certifications.
Solutions that reduce energy consumption are installed within the building.
Contractors involved
Henning Larsen, a Denmark-based architecture company and a part of the Ramboll Group, was selected as the architect to design World of Volvo, after it won a competition for the design in late 2018.
Nordstrom Kelly Arkitekter provided the interior design for the project while construction company Billstrom Riemer Andersson (BRA Group) provided construction services for the project. Both companies are based in Sweden.
Optima Engineering, a Swedish construction company specialising in prefabricated frames, was contracted as the frame designer for the prefabricated concrete and steel frames.
Prefabsystem, a prefabricated frame solutions manufacturer in Sweden, was selected to supply and assemble the frames for the project’s floor, steel, and facade elements, as well as concrete columns and beams, along with elevator concrete stairs and floor.
Austrian timber supplier Wiehag received a contract to supply timber material for the project’s construction, in partnership with Stora Enso, a packaging company.
Ingenjorsbyran Andersson & Hultmark, a Swedish engineering consultant, offered plumbing and energy-related services for the project.
Cedas Akustik, a Swedish acoustics consultant, was engaged in providing building acoustics services while Norwegian design agency Kvant-1 provided visualisations for the project.
Other companies, including Lindner Scandinavia, Brion, Inhouse Tech, Fredblad, Cedas Akustik, Brion Ventilation, Vinergi, Confire and Avarn Security also contributed to the World of Volvo project.
