Architectural Cases

Experience Automotive Rebirth: The Norrsken - Where Classic Meets Cutting-Edge

The Genesis of Norrsken: Blending Past Elegance with Future Vision

The Norrsken emerges as Autoforma's homage to the Volvo P1800ES shooting brake, a design initiative stemming from Niels van Roij's acclaimed studio, brought to fruition through collaboration with Volvo Lotte. This restomod respectfully builds upon the foundational aesthetics of the early 1970s P1800ES, a vehicle celebrated for its crisp lines and understated surfaces. The inherent elegance of the original silhouette is meticulously preserved, while subtle refinements to its visual presence, road stance, and intricate details elevate it to contemporary automotive benchmarks.

Preserving and Enhancing the P1800ES's Iconic Visual Identity

The original Volvo P1800ES is characterized by its visually harmonious proportions, featuring an extended hood, a gracefully sloping roofline, and the signature frameless rear glass panel that appears as a singular, unbroken transparent surface. Autoforma approaches these defining characteristics with profound respect, ensuring their integrity. The vehicle's bodywork undergoes a nuanced tightening, and the ride height is subtly adjusted, bringing the wheels into a more intimate relationship with the archways, thereby refining its overall posture.

Norrsken: A Trio of Distinctive Design Philosophies

The Norrsken lineup presents three meticulously defined interpretations of the Volvo P1800ES restomod, each exploring a unique facet of the classic form. These variations allow for a personalized ownership experience, ranging from understated authenticity to assertive, modern expression.

Heritage Heaven: A Reverent Nod to the Past

The "Heritage Heaven" variant is a careful curation of period-accurate details. Its paintwork is inspired by Volvo's original color palette, chrome accents are thoughtfully applied to maintain authenticity, and mechanical upgrades prioritize refined performance and unwavering reliability. The vehicle's stance is subtly corrected without undue exaggeration, ensuring the wheels and their finish remain congruous with the era, offering a harmonious blend of classic charm and enhanced driving dynamics.

Modern Marvel: Integrating Contemporary Aesthetics and Technology

The "Modern Marvel" iteration introduces advanced lighting technologies and a streamlined approach to materials. LED components are seamlessly integrated, scaled to avoid visual clutter. Suspension and power output receive substantial enhancements, yet the design language remains understated and cohesive. Exterior trims are simplified, and the color palette shifts towards cooler metallic tones and subtle contrasts, echoing the sophisticated simplicity inherent in traditional Scandinavian design.

Forward Fashionista: A Bold Statement of Performance and Style

The "Forward Fashionista" stands as the most assertive expression within the Norrsken range. This version pushes the boundaries of the restomod concept, incorporating a robust Volvo T-5 five-cylinder engine, a re-engineered transmission, advanced braking systems, and a revised chassis geometry. These significant mechanical alterations are complemented by dramatic visual transformations: carbon-fiber components, more audacious color schemes, and a more aggressive stance, collectively imbuing the P1800ES with a distinctly purposeful and contemporary character.

Refining External Features: Proportionality and Surface Excellence

Across all three Norrsken variants, a profound emphasis is placed on achieving ideal proportions and impeccable surface quality. The wheel designs are reimagined to sit perfectly within subtly modified wheel arches. Tire sidewalls are meticulously selected to balance historical authenticity with modern grip capabilities, while the track width is precisely calibrated to enhance visual stability and presence.

Integrated Lighting and Signature Glass Tailgate

The vehicle's lighting elements feature a restrained graphic design, with front and rear signatures respecting the original housing's geometry while integrating contemporary performance. The distinctive glass tailgate remains a pivotal design element, meticulously framed to ensure its transparency is both deliberate and immaculately presented. Chrome detailing is either preserved or minimized depending on the specific model, consistently following the body's contours with precision and purpose, further accentuating the car's refined lines.

Personalized Craftsmanship and Attention to Detail

Every Norrsken model undergoes individual curation, allowing for extensive material customization that even extends to the luggage compartment. This bespoke approach ensures each vehicle is a unique reflection of its owner's taste, combining luxurious materials with thoughtful design to create a truly personalized automotive masterpiece.

In a visionary urban revitalization effort, Benedetta Tagliabue – EMBT has successfully transformed Century Square, a prominent civic and commercial hub on Shanghai's East Nanjing Road. This ambitious redesign re-conceptualizes the square as an engaging and eco-conscious public realm, distinguished by a captivating central kaleidoscopic edifice that redefines the city's architectural panorama. Historically a stage for grand events and vibrant commercial displays, the square now functions as a verdant urban sanctuary, seamlessly connecting People's Square with The Bund, a cherished historical district, all while prioritizing ecological sensitivity and communal engagement.

The conceptual framework for this project draws deeply from Shanghai's evocative name, which translates to 'upon the sea,' weaving this nautical heritage into tangible spatial and material narratives. The design evokes the imagery of a mollusk shell gently opening to unveil a lustrous pearl, represented by the central Kaleidoscope. This structure acts as a dynamic mirror, reflecting and reconfiguring snippets of the urban environment much like the shimmering, ever-changing surface of water. Beneath foot, an intricately designed paving scheme conjures the mystique of an aquatic realm. As evening descends, an integrated lighting system transmutes the ground into a dazzling expanse, reinforcing the maritime allegory while preserving the square's storied legacy of luminous spectacle.

Century Square has consistently held a pivotal position within Shanghai's urban tapestry, serving as a crucial link between significant civic and waterfront landmarks. Traditionally defined by its nocturnal illumination, public performances, and commercial showcases, the site necessitated a transformation that would uphold its performative essence while broadening its societal and environmental contributions. The blueprint devised by EMBT ingeniously preserves the square's capacity for grand spectacle, yet subtly reorients its focus toward enhanced adaptability and daily utility. This reimagined space seamlessly blends zones for large-scale events and exhibitions with abundant public seating, all integrated within a more permeable and verdant landscape. The design anticipates accommodating both substantial gatherings and tranquil moments of repose, thereby extending its relevance beyond scheduled events into the fluid rhythms of everyday urban existence.

Beyond its striking visual appeal, the Kaleidoscope is an embodiment of ecological innovation, housing sophisticated environmental systems that purify the air and contribute to the regulation of the microclimate. This positions the architectural focal point as both a symbolic icon and a high-performing ecological asset. The renewal process introduces considerable green spaces into an area previously characterized by hard urban surfaces. Lush vegetated gradients, strategically placed shade structures, and elements designed to offer protection from rain collaboratively soften the transitions around the towering surrounding buildings and mitigate heat buildup. This comprehensive approach aligns the square's metamorphosis with a broader environmental consciousness prevalent in dense urban centers, where open public spaces must increasingly strike a delicate balance between intensive social use and ecological stewardship. In one of Shanghai's busiest thoroughfares, EMBT's intervention successfully recasts the square as a significant cultural and ecological landmark.