FOJAB reaches the final of the PLATE AWARD 2021

An undulating sheet metal facade that evokes a frozen, rippled water surface and a vibrant ground floor with a café and gym. The Dockan parking garage in Västerås challenges the standard image of what a parking garage is and should be, and has earned FOJAB a finalist position in the PLATE AWARD 2021.

- It's really great fun, but also a bit unexpected. Traditionally, parking garages are probably not associated with good architecture and are not often seen as inviting and welcoming. We have worked actively to create a vibrant ground floor and a lovely facade - perhaps Dockan can become the natural meeting place of the neighborhood," says Anders Eriksson Modin, responsible architect at FOJAB.

Innovative technology, developed in FOJABlab
The PLATE AWARD 2021 is awarded to an architectural firm that in 2020 completed a building where the possibilities of the sheet metal facade are utilized and maximized based on form, function, innovation and environment. The facade of the Dockan parking garage consists of bent metal cassettes in an undulating pattern. The technique of bending along a curve is a new technique, developed in FOJABlab.

- The idea arose during an internal workshop where we tested bending paper along curves. In close cooperation with a sheet metal company, FOJAB has developed the technology and a digital simulation of the bending process. The result is a three-dimensional, varied and interesting surface. The facade sheet in Dockan is also unpainted, which gives it fantastic reflectivity. "Daylight causes the facade to change from blue and white to a deep dark red at sunset," says Petra Jenning, architect at FOJAB with design responsibility for the metal facade.

Sheet metal bent in place
Sustainability has been one of the guiding principles of the project. In addition to the parking garage offering green electricity charging and encouraging residents in the area to share cars in a collective car pool, the construction process has also focused on sustainable solutions. For example, the plates were delivered in flat packages and bent into their current shape on site, saving many transportation miles.

- Our goal was to create a sustainable building that ages beautifully and withstands wear and tear. A living building that gives something back to the city," says Anders.

Read more about the Dockan car park in Västerås.