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sea, spa and meetings “For us human beings, there is no substitute for face to face meetings,” says Lars Eric Fält, MD of the Volvo Bokenäs Resort & Conference right by the scenic Koljö fjord several miles outside the town of Uddevalla. ”The room’s interior decoration and furniture provide the right environment for a good meeting – a meeting that generates commitment and results. Meeting at the same level, seeing the other people and reading their body language, enables key issues and strategic decisions to be handled fruitfully. A meeting provides an opportunity to see the broader picture,...

open spaces for informal chats A coffee break in the lobby is vital for a good meeting. Mingling with the other delegates gives new perspectives and stimulates the sessions in the meeting rooms. A stand-up coffee break revives your energy and provides better opportunities to network and meet new contacts. A coffee break in a comfortable sofa group goes on longer and yields fewer contacts.

transparent prestige meeting A serious meeting works differently when everyone is gathered in a circle. The arrangement of the furniture in Aqua Blue points the participants towards each other, sharpens up the focus, and makes it easier to interpret body language. The round glass table creates a transparent distance that encourages a dialogue. The participants are seated in comfortable high-backed swivelling armchairs, tempting them to a gentle relaxing movement.

active project meeting A creative work meeting, a workshop, needs furniture that encourages movement and provides ergonomic comfort. Aqua Marine has a high table, comfortable for working in a standing position, with a generous quadratic worktop that provides room for everyone. Easy to move footstools, encourage saddle seating, or if needed room for two people side-by-side. Along the windows, there are long benches for those who prefer to stretch out, or to rest a while on the sidelines.

open meeting A meeting or a training session with presentations and dialogue has a more open character, with comfortable armchairs in a large circle. Being able to rotate the armchair invites people to adopt an individual seating position and ergonomic movement comfort, and makes it easy to actively follow the various presentations and speakers. Movable tables with room for computers and work materials supplement the individual seats in Aqua Green.

room for relaxed chats Different meetings need different meeting rooms. Sometimes you need a room with a more homely character for various work activities and cosy chats. Rooms that have borrowed their design from the personal sphere, but do not feel private. Soft furniture and beautiful materials make the psychological meeting processes easier in difficult conversations. In the Club Lounge there is room for a congenial evening for smaller parties.

colourful board meeting Some meetings require traditional seating at large tables in high-backed conference chairs. The Elegance meeting room breaks this conservative pattern with flowery colourful chairs on wheels, round a large conference table with a glossy desktop. A soft velvet curtain makes the room cosy. After tough negotiations, the room’s materials and colour scheme makes it easier for the participants to revert to a more normal tone of conversation and friendly working relationships.

studio for creative activities Some activities need a neutral room without an intrusive character. The Studio is suitable for active project work in a U-shape, with high tables and ergonomic benches or traditional school seating and cinema seating for lectures and training. The room is also suitable for activities such as food preparation, wine tasting and other creative activities.

room for large meetings In the large meeting room, is there plenty of space for small and large groups in various seating arrangements. In a number of different configurations, stackable and connectable chairs and tables form e.g. fishbone seating, U-shaped seating, or classic cinema seating just with chairs. The mood in the Room of Senses can be transformed by changing the colour of the lighting.

room of senses The large meeting room is, in this setting, furnished with chairs in a wide circle on the soft carpet. The furnishings are suitable for an open dialogue and contemplative moments. The carpet is an invitation to freer activities such as role-playing and similar training sessions. The beautiful view encourages peace and quiet.

plenty of room At conferences and training sessions, seats are required that allow a large number of delegates to socialise. People want to be together, standing or sitting in large or small groups and the furniture must be flexible and easy to shift around. In the Aqua Lounge, a warming fire provides a mood-enhancing centrepiece.

time for relaxing A good day’s meeting has more value if it ends with an enjoyable evening. A walk in the woods, a swim in the sea or in the pool, a sauna or a yoga session gives people fresh energy for the next day’s meetings. The relaxation area and the Aqua Lounge will round off a good day’s work.

bokenäs blending with nature Some 60 years ago, a private aeroplane carrying the legendary Volvo president Gunnar Engellau was exploring the coast north of Gothenburg. He was looking for a beautiful and protected area for a holiday camp for Volvo’s industrial workers. Bokenäs, by the beautiful Koljö fjord outside the town of Uddevalla, caught his eye. The land was acquired and given to the Volvo workers, who themselves built a simple holiday village on the cliffs. In the 1990s, the site needed to be refurbished and fitted with modern facilities. Because Bokenäs was located in a nature...

Client: AB Volvo employee foundations/ Axia Hotel Management AB through Lars Eric Fält Architect: Lars Ylander architect MSA Managing architect: Pyramiden arkitekter AB Interior designer and meeting concepts: Kersti Sandin Bülow architect SIR/MSA The conference rooms are a test site for a number of meeting concepts, and form a case study in an ongoing research project / doctoral thesis at HDK/University of Gothenburg Building contractor: Veidekke AB Interior fittings supplier: Jan Ling inredning AB Furniture and meeting concepts: Materia AB Photographer: Jonas Sellberg Graphics: Materia AB