Volvo has just announced that they'll team up with a world-famous Swedish glassworks company to work on part of a new concept car.
Orrefors will work with Volvo to design a floating centre-stack constructed of hand-made crystal, which will be part of a concept shown at the Detroit international motor show in January.
The concept will hint at the next-generation Volvo S60 model. Volvo says that the crystal-clear structure forms a gentle, calm wave from the instrument cluster all the way back to the rear-seat backrest.
"It almost looks like a waterfall from the instrument panel, flowing through the centre of the car," says Volvo Cars design director Steve Mattin.
"If you want to explore the full scope of Scandinavian design, Sweden's glassworks are a natural source of inspiration. Large glass areas are also very much part of modern Swedish architecture, creating the special, light transparency" he adds.
The special console is illuminated by invisible light sources that can be adjusted to match the driver's mood. It floats over the centre console and is suspended on rubber pads.
Orrefors glass experts happily accepted the project as one of the most unusual in their 110-year history. Though moulds for crystal are usually hand-chiseled from planks of alder wood, the exacting specifications Volvo put forth added a real challenge.
"The undulating, slightly twisted shape and the precise dimensional requirements were two exciting challenges we had to face. Crystal is a living material, shaped by living people. We are not used to working with tolerances of tenths of a millimetre. What is more, we're talking here about an exceptionally large piece of glass," explains Orrefors design manager Gunilla Arvidsson.
Volvo admits that the crystal console won't be a production feature of the new S60, but says that use of such design elements are possible on a smaller scale in the future.
photo:Volvo
Orrefors will work with Volvo to design a floating centre-stack constructed of hand-made crystal, which will be part of a concept shown at the Detroit international motor show in January.
The concept will hint at the next-generation Volvo S60 model. Volvo says that the crystal-clear structure forms a gentle, calm wave from the instrument cluster all the way back to the rear-seat backrest.
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"It almost looks like a waterfall from the instrument panel, flowing through the centre of the car," says Volvo Cars design director Steve Mattin.
"If you want to explore the full scope of Scandinavian design, Sweden's glassworks are a natural source of inspiration. Large glass areas are also very much part of modern Swedish architecture, creating the special, light transparency" he adds.
The special console is illuminated by invisible light sources that can be adjusted to match the driver's mood. It floats over the centre console and is suspended on rubber pads.
Orrefors glass experts happily accepted the project as one of the most unusual in their 110-year history. Though moulds for crystal are usually hand-chiseled from planks of alder wood, the exacting specifications Volvo put forth added a real challenge.
"The undulating, slightly twisted shape and the precise dimensional requirements were two exciting challenges we had to face. Crystal is a living material, shaped by living people. We are not used to working with tolerances of tenths of a millimetre. What is more, we're talking here about an exceptionally large piece of glass," explains Orrefors design manager Gunilla Arvidsson.
Volvo admits that the crystal console won't be a production feature of the new S60, but says that use of such design elements are possible on a smaller scale in the future.
photo:Volvo