Geely – An innovation center with crystal clear prospects in Gothenburg

An engineering equivalent to Silicon Valley has been placed at the Lindholmen shipyard in Gothenburg. Here, the area breathes innovation and openness, where new creation in the automotive industry is in focus. The innovation center will inspire promising young talents to new discoveries and meetings. The five elements wood, fire, earth, metal, and water are to symbolize the area and the surroundings are opened up through the glassy reflections in the facades. SAPA has through Göteborgs Glasmästeri AB, delivered aluminum doors, roof glazing and facades to the project. 

A new future is being created at the old Lindholmen shipyard in Gothenburg. Here, Geely has chosen to build its first innovation center outside of China. Uni3 by Geely campus is going to bring out the new talents in the automotive industry and aims to become the equivalent of an engineering Silicon Valley.

-Each house represents one of the basic elements of Chinese philosophy, which means, among other things, that they have different colors, says Mikael Karlsson, project manager at Göteborgs Glasmästeri.

The architecture has taken its inspiration from nature, where the elegant design interacts with form and function. Here, the local history of the shipyard era is recreated through a solid foundation of bricks that can be seen in every building. By intertwining the different cultures of the West and the East, have the Chinese five elements – wood, fire, earth, metal, and water been reflected through beautiful glass facades where each building represents an element. The brick foundation represents the element earth.

Geely – Not just a working place

Uni3 by Geely, has taken "Uni" from the English word "unify" and wants to refer to the connection between Sweden and China. The 3 stands for the synergistic effect of 1+1=3 where they want to encourage the new creation of innovations. Geely believes that new ideas flourish in meetings between different people who don’t share the same perspective, ambitions and habits. People from different communities and backgrounds can together inspire each other to shape new possibilities and discoveries.

Uni3 by Geely has a project area of 104 000m2 with a total of five buildings. In the main building, will there be space for 3 000 workplaces where you will also have the opportunity to work on your innovations in a larger and open courtyard that connects the premises.

There is also a café, restaurant, theater, and meeting rooms here. Another building located on campus is Lynk & Co:s office. Lynk & Co is Geely:s mobility brand where the aim is to develop the ownership models of cars for the more connected generation and its consumer needs.

SAPA has with the help of Göteborgs Glasmästeri AB, delivered a total of 155 tons of aluminum to the project. This in the form of aluminum facades, roof glazing and doors. Through the roof glazing, new car models can also be shipped out in daylight to test functions and design. Something that can be done without public view. Almost the entire main building is dressed in SAPA:s glass facades. These facades, together with the roof, are made of recycled aluminum from end-of-life construction products, this by using the aluminum alloy Hydro CIRCAL. By choosing a facade with circular materials, the project demonstrates their clear focus on the future and sustainability.

An impressive journey

Of course, there have also been some difficulties during the process, something that Mikael explains.

-The big challenge has been the logistics, taking care of large profile deliveries as well as handling all lots and glass, one of the houses (hus23) for example has as many as 3 800 glasses, says Mikael.

In addition to the main building, the buildings for Lynk & Co and Design Studio also have SAPA:s aluminum facades.

-The project has been a safe base in our production for 3 years, at the start we established a new facility in connection with our regular production facility where most of Geely was produced. The absolute most fun part of this project has been being involved from the start, from the idea stage to completion, says Mikael.

The Design Studio - the chamber of secrets

The architectural firm “Arkitektbyrån Design Göteborg AB” has created the overall design, shape and planning for four of the buildings on campus. The fifth building, on the other hand, "The Design Studio" is designed by the Danish architectural firm Cobe A/S. This building will be responsible for the design development of Uni3 by Geely.

The exclusive design center will be like the "chamber of secrets", where new products, especially from Lynk & Co, will be designed. The total area of the building is 14 000m2 and will have areas for offices, showrooms and workshops. The company's identity and philosophy are reinforced through the multifunctional design, where themes such as "personal", "urbanism", "new technology" and "respect" are reflected through the corridors.

The relationship between the private and public areas is carefully thought out. Where the facade on the ground floor is open and transparent but gradually becomes more and more private the further up you look at the building. This is done with the help of metal strips that are gradually placed closer to each other on the facade. The design of the building itself is centered around an atrium that ties together the visual and physical connection between all those working in the building. 

Facts:

SAPA-products: SAPA Facade 4150, SAPA Facade 4150 SSG, SAPA Roof glazing 5050, SAPA Entranced door 2086, SAPA door 2086, SAPA Door EI30 and SAPA Door EI60
SAPA-client: Göteborgs Glasmästeri AB
Architects: Arkitektbyrån Design Göteborg AB & Cobe A/S
Developer: Geely innovation center 2 AB
Construction contractor: Billström Riemer Andersson Bygg AB
Photograph: Felix Gerlach