Hygge and made entirely of wood: The world of Volvo

SPX/Gothenburg. Kungsportsavenyen is lined with prefab low-rises and gray-brown Wilhelminian-style buildings. On this cold, gray spring day, only a few people hurry along Gothenburg’s main shopping street. And the Liseberg amusement park 200 meters away is still closed. The biggest hall there is also burnt down. Charred beams rise darkly from the collapsed roof into the sky. Not what tourists think of Astrid Lindgren’s Sweden.

Early next week, the industrial city on the banks of the Kattegat may be worth a detour for more visitors on their visit to Sweden: “Volvo World” will open on a hill next to the road. And it offers a lot that not only tourists like about the Scandinavian country and its way of life.

Contrary to what the name suggests, at first glance you will not see anything of the Swedish brand, its cars, trucks or construction equipment. Rather, it is nature that draws the eye. A new world of adventure spreads over an area the size of three football fields – and most of it is accessible to anyone without paying an entrance fee. “Allemansrätten is very important to us,” emphasizes Roger Alm, Vice President of the Volvo Group: the basic right of all citizens to be able to move freely on any property. The round design of the Volvo World is also meant to be inviting to visitors. And you don’t have to stand in front of a glass house.

The first green plants are already sprouting near the central building, lichens and mosses grow on the typical granite stones of the area and the small river Mölndalsån touches in front of the entrance. This makes you forget that the area is surrounded by dilapidated industrial halls, expressways and roads on other sides. Because your eyes are caught by something else anyway.

At the center of it all is the largest and most complex wooden structure in Scandinavia. Architect Martin Stenberg, with the shape of the leafy ceiling and three large trees made of light wood, captures the classic landscape and Swedish building culture at the same time. A diameter of 110 meters and five central levels are visible almost entirely to visitors.

Beams and columns up to 34 meters long are made of special glued-together wood, which are connected to each other with a special structural adhesive. The steel-to-wood connection of the beams is calculated to the millimeter by the Austrian wood construction specialist Wiehag. After all, you have to carry tons of weight, says Stenberg. For example, the two floors that are still on the roof, not visible from below, the possibility of a lot of snow in the long winter – and, last but not least, the cars from the 97 years of the company’s history. Because of course the world of experience is also very much about Volvo’s contribution to mobility. And for many foreigners, of course, these are cars.

That’s why two dozen treasures from the old Volvo Museum are packed together in an area on the third floor, the size of two handball courts. Of course the ÖV 4, Volvo’s very first car from 1927. On the ladder frame, the four-cylinder looks a lot like the best-selling Ford T-model at the time – and the founders were inspired by that. The car should be cheaper and more powerful. 28 hp and a top speed of 90 km are perfectly timed. Under the fact that the model can only go back on its first trip because of a wrongly installed gearshift.

Exhibitors do not hide this – and perhaps this experience was the motivation to want to build more than a simple car in the future. That is why the focus at the opening on April 14 will be on Volvos, which should bring real value to people. “Omtanke” was already a slogan; This can be translated as “take care of your neighbor and the whole environment.” For example, the “Elbil”, which is about one and a half meters short, is an electric vehicle that the Swedish postal service was able to use to send letters without emissions as early as 1976.

The “YCC Your Concept Car” from 2004, developed by women for women, was intended to offer mainly practical features – such as a washer fluid compartment near the oil filter neck, so that women do not have to walk around in the dirt. hat And “VESC” is also very central: Volvo’s Test Safety Car from 1972 already had a large reversing camera with a tracking tube and a large, but elastic, flexible plastic bumper at the front. Security considerations that came later in the series.

Above all, safety is the main guarantee of all Volvo’s “Omtanke” activities, as manager Alm emphasizes. The first series of use of three-point seat belts, the targeted use of Swedish steel, child seat cushions, side airbags and pioneering efforts in crash research and frequent crash testing led to steady progress in cars like PV 444, Amazon or 240; Models that have created a brand image for this reason. Of course they can also appear in exhibitions.

Such as historic trucks such as the Titan Turbo or the L248 “Rundnos”, which not only inspire truck drivers. And tractors, Penta boats, buses and excavators can also be seen – after all, the exhibition is held by all Volvo companies. Speaking of excavators: Visitors can even get behind the wheel – and dig around the paint balls. Only small children are allowed to do that in the ball pit at Ikea.

The exhibition area also has interactive areas where people can test their tactile abilities, navigate the dangers of everyday virtual traffic in an entertaining way or explain important safety and environmental aspects. Oh, there’s space art on display – with air connectivity for the mobile world. The several hundred thousand visitors that Volvo expects each year are guaranteed an ever-changing insight into the history of the car. After all, there are almost 270 classic cars in the garage at Volvo Cars alone. So there is still a lot to show.

If you save the 20 euro entrance fee, you can also attend a concert, discussion or conference at Volvo World – many of which can be found free of charge. In addition to the actual exhibitions, the large wooden trunks also accommodate meeting rooms of various sizes – with a view of unspoiled nature through the slopes, a green roof and a typical “hygge” with colorful walls and cozy sofas. A large event hall will also attract stars to the world of Volvo and star chef Stefan Karlsson will offer a tasteful Scandinavian experience on the first floor. The entire structure is of course certified to the highest standards of ecological construction. If desired, the electric bus can also take guests silently directly to the house. Something clean.

This is also an ecological message for customers from North America who will pick up their new car in Gothenburg in the future. The dealer layout is very popular in the US and Canada, as well as a short vacation in Swedish nature, preferably in a fully electric car. In forests, beaches and lakes or in cozy villages outside Gothenburg, you can find Allemansrätten and Omtanke in close proximity again. Because this type of Volvo Earth is almost everywhere in Sweden.