SKF Experience Center
Brand experience space for a century of innovation
SKF, a global leader in bearings and industrial technologies, was moving to its new headquarters in 2020 and sought to elevate its old company exhibition. The former setup, dependent on guides and a do-not-touch atmosphere, needed to give way to something more open and interactive. The new Experience Center was designed to embody innovation, inviting visitors to explore the brand freely, experience it firsthand, and empowering employees to share its story in an engaging way.
A journey of touch, scale, and contrast
The new SKF Experience Center hooks visitors immediately upon entering. At the far end of the space, a massive tunnel drill bursts through the wall — a 3.5-meter set piece constructed by craftsmen from GöteborgsOperan. From there, the exhibition unfolds along a floor plan shaped like a lying figure-eight, symbolizing an “eternity loop” of transformation. Every step is a puzzle piece in the change toward a circular economy.
Throughout the journey, visitors encounter hardened steel, super-spherical balls, ceramic floating bearings, enormous and minuscule components, geometric shapes, and directional indicators. Digital, visual, and tactile installations complement the physical objects, creating a multi-sensory experience that redefines what a hard-industry brand can feel like.
Immersed in real-world scenarios
At its heart is a 270-degree video room with 7.1 surround sound. In the center, an interactive bearing invites visitors to activate dramatic customer scenarios.
By turning the bearing, they unlock teasers of extreme environments: wave power beneath the Scottish seas, the heat of the most advanced steel mill in the U.S., or mining trains operating deep inside Sweden’s polar circle. Each scenario begins with a flight in from space, before landing face-to-face with SKF and its partners confronting the forces of nature. With panoramic visuals and wall-shaking sound, the room delivers a fully immersive experience that makes SKF’s role tangible.
From time capsule to future transformaton
Above all, the Experience Center is about transformation — both SKF’s and the industry’s. It highlights a shift toward sustainable choices, enabled by new technologies, responsible business models, and a renewed view of how companies can contribute to society.
It also embodies historical change: from Sven Wingquist’s first patent on the self-aligning ball bearing in 1907, through decades of industrial milestones, to today’s connected, low-friction solutions. The space tells a century-long story of innovation while looking firmly toward the future.
