A showroom built around Volkswagen's green transition

How a new electric vehicle showroom replaced its old ceilings with black acoustic tiles, while sending the originals back to be recycled.

Volkswagen Copenhagen Car Showroom Design | Case Studies

The Volkswagen City Studio in Copenhagen, where Rockfon Color-all in black frames the cars at the centre of the showroom.

A showroom for the next generation of Volkswagens

Volkswagen's new City Studio in central Copenhagen marks the brand's shift toward electric mobility in Denmark. Visitors come to experience the latest e-models and to see how Volkswagen is approaching the future of transport.

The showroom design had to reflect that ambition. Wood-clad walls, deep black acoustic ceilings and an exclusive atmosphere that puts the cars at the centre of attention.

“It has been important for us to create an environment that exudes exclusivity and creates the right atmosphere. It's crucial that you as a visitor experience that it’s nice to be here, so you feel like spending a little extra time”, said Martin Orthmann Thorsen, Marketing Manager at Volkswagen Denmark.

But for a brand built around sustainability, the materials inside the showroom mattered as much as the visual result.

Replacing the ceiling while reducing waste

The space already had a working Rockfon ceiling installed in white. Replacing it entirely for the new black aesthetic would have meant sending the existing tiles to landfill, an outcome that contradicted the sustainability message the showroom was built to communicate.

The challenge was straightforward: change the ceiling to fit the new design, keep as much of the existing system in use as possible, and make sure anything decommissioned didn't go to waste.

Black tiles, custom sizes, existing grid

Rockfon Color-all in black was installed across the showroom in combination with the existing Rockfon suspension grid. The black surface absorbs sound effectively, giving the showroom a calm acoustic environment for both visitors and staff, while letting the wood-clad walls and the cars themselves dominate visually.

Rather than replacing the full ceiling structure, the existing system was reused wherever possible. Where new tiles were needed, custom sizes were supplied to fit the specific dimensions of the space, with delivery timed to match the project schedule.

Project info

Project name

Volkswagen Copenhagen Showroom

Location

Copenhagen, Denmark

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Products used

Rockfon Color-all®

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Rockfon Color-all in black with integrated LED lighting spots. Acoustic comfort without interrupting the finish.

The contrast between the dark ceiling and the white column, defining an exclusive atmosphere.

Visitors exploring the electric models under a Color-all ceiling that keeps the space acoustically comfortable with an exclusive feel.

“It's crucial that you as a visitor experience that it’s nice to be here, so you feel like spending a little extra time”

Martin Orthmann

— Marketing Manager, Volkswagen Denmark

Closing the loop

The white tiles that were removed didn't end up as waste. They were returned to Rockfon's recycling scheme, where used stone wool ceilings are sent back to production and transformed into new tiles for other projects.

"To help sustainability on its way into our showroom, we chose to make use of Rockfon's recycling scheme so that the 'old' ceilings can be given new life somewhere else. This is an important keystone for Volkswagen to contribute with what we can now, big and small, even if it's not just about cars”, said Orthmann Thorsen.

For Project Manager Niels Fæster at Multiwork, who managed the transformation of the premises, the supplier collaboration was the difference between specification and delivery.

"On this project, we have benefited from the sparring and capacity that Rockfon has offered. Not only have they recommended the recycling scheme, but they have also provided ceilings in special sizes and with a delivery time that suited the planned process." said Fæster.

Guests and employees can foster connection in a calm, acoustic space.

Built around the circular economy

Volkswagen City Studio is now open in central Copenhagen, with a fully recyclable acoustic ceiling supporting both the showroom's exclusive atmosphere and the brand's sustainability ambitions. The old ceilings will be back in circulation in another building.

Also designing a space where existing materials can be reused or recycled rather than replaced? Get in touch, and together we'll find the right approach for your project.