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The new building for Hedin Bil creates a gate to the city of Borås in the western part of Sweden. It introduces a new concept to the motor trade; several brands collected in the same building with shared service and workshop facilities.
Architecture firm QPG designed the building for a site at a previous military facility. It is strategically located within the city and part of a large development scheme that called for a representative building, for both the area and the city as a whole. The building is set up in three levels that meet the sloping site. The exhibition halls have been given a distinct character and form, facing the well-known city skyline. The architecture generates its own character to attract customers to a stimulating shopping environment.
Different brands are arranged in a shop-in-shop solution. The stairs operating in the building allow for a variety of ways to see the cars from many angles. Particular attention has been devoted to workshops and workplaces where a complex technical infrastructure and a large amount of equipment has been incorporated into a light and inspiring environment.
The materials in the building reflect its inherent mechanical and technical precision. The facade has an Alucobond cladding, which allows surfaces to merge into continuos lustrous fields, broken up by glass. The Alucobond fields also reduces energy losses and sun shading systems are integrated into the facade. Materials in the workshops are sturdy and warm with hand-made bricks.
The whole facility is connected to the city's district heating system which is local and sustainable. It is a building that is as important to the engine mechanic as to the customer. Hedin Bil is already, after half a year, an example of the success of investing in architecture and quality.