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Mercedes-Benz A-Klasse Assembly Plant
Mercedes’ massive A-Klasse assembly plant in Juiz de Fora, Brazil – a one million square foot facility – was designed and built based on the traditional German model, with each phase of production housed in its own separate building. While traditional factories devised from such a plan are seldom pleasing to the eye, Kahn’s design in Juiz de Fora is an artistic delight, defying every stereotypical image of a heavy industrial building. From the exterior, the facility offers not only expansive and attractive façades but also a series of fascinating glimpses into the bustling production activity transpiring inside. This effect is accomplished with a number of long overhead tunnels, partly encased in glass, and observers can readily see, through the building’s wide, slanted windows, Mercedes vehicle bodies moving steadily by conveyer from one building to another, until complete. more...
The beautifully landscaped 700 acre site is enveloped by an unspoiled range of hills, while lush beds of semi-tropical flowers and climbing vines surround the entrances. Outside columns boast an exotic Brazilian palette of soft pinks and warm blues, with the most arresting and decorative feature adorning the paint shop exterior – the “Auto-mobile,” a spectacular sculpture comprised of various dangling Mercedes vehicle bodies, painted in a full and eye-pleasing pallet of actual production colors.
Highlighted Mercedes-Benz projects:
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