P-huset Dockan is a mobility facility in central Västerås, with an innovative facade of three-dimensional aluminum panels. The facade consists of 378 bent sheets that together create undulating vertical lines and surfaces along the facade. The building's location by Lake Mälaren and its sparkling water surface has provided inspiration for an articulated and unique façade design, which captures and reflects the light of the sky.

At night, when the parking garage is illuminated, small perforated holes in the surface of the sheet metal appear as water splashes. The innovative bending technique has developed in prototype stage in close cooperation between FOJAB and Plåtexpressen, partly as a stand at Plåt16 in Gothenburg. The technology has now been taken forward to full-scale application by FOJAB and LW Sverige AB. In order to understand on the drawing board what the facade will look like when completed, and what shapes are possible to bend, a digital model of the bending process has been developed that simulates the actual behavior of the sheet metal. Using the bending technique, expressive facades can be created with relatively simple means in a resource-efficient way, and contribute to increased care in the built environment.

The Mobility House serves as a meeting place and identity builder for local areas, with a gym and bakery on the ground floor, car pool cars for sharing and a high proportion of parking spaces with the possibility to charge electric cars.

Award:
Finalist Sheet Metal Prize 2021