Volvo Cars opens its latest global design hub in Shanghai as it seeks to expand the brand further into Asian markets.
The automaker’s Design Studio Shanghai joins its existing studios in Gothenburg, Sweden, and Camarillo, CA. This studio aims to mirror its design headquarters in Gothenburg and will enjoy all the design functions needed from concept to production.
Claimed capabilities will allow modeling production up to fullsize models for interior, exterior, color and materials, as well as UX design. On top of milling machines, 3D printers and workshops for producing accurate models, Shanghai designers also have access to virtual-reality environments.
The 59,200-sq.-ft. (5,500-sq.-m) building draws on Scandinavian design principles with floor-to-ceiling windows and expansive staircases. It has seating for more than 100 designers and creative engineers. At its center is a 10,760-sq.-ft. (1,000-sq.-m) show hall and features an outdoor viewing garden.
Jeremy Offer, Volvo Car’s head of global design, says: “Our Shanghai design team is a crucial and integrated part of our global design network. The new premises and the latest technologies help strengthen the collaboration across our three design studios globally, as we continue to take Volvo Cars’ premium Scandinavian design to the next level.”
