Volvo at West Lake Cultural Square — Volvo Smart Driving Experience Camp (2018)

West Lake Cultural Square hosted a three-day Volvo driving camp with a raised test track, VR experience system and a Scandinavian lounge.

The venue

West Lake Cultural Square is an open civic plaza in central Hangzhou, addressed in the record as Hangzhou West Lake Cultural Square. It sits among the city’s cultural and civic buildings, with broad paved areas that support public programs and daily circulation. Normally it operates as a public square rather than a dedicated event venue, so large installations must be built within an open urban setting.

How the space was used

For the Volvo camp, the square held an 800-square-metre experience space built from 100 tonnes of steel rigging. A two-level rotating track with a six-metre vertical drop and a 720-degree loop formed the main driving route, alongside a V-shaped ditch, bumpy surface, cross axle, side slope and roller bed. A negotiation lounge and Scandinavian living room sat beside the route, with a VR system and 360-degree film.

Why it works here

Open civic squares suit temporary driving demonstrations because they provide a central, accessible footprint for large steel structures while keeping the event visible to passers-by. The mix of track, lounge and VR content depends on separating circulation from queueing and rest areas, which a paved public plaza can accommodate for a short run.