Shortly, electricity will replace petrol and diesel as the fuel for our cars, and such a change could radically shift our urban landscape as the formal aspects of gas stations is then open to reimagining. Danish Architecture firm COBE is looking to do just that. Understanding that under current technological trends the average charging time for an electric vehicle is upwards of 45 minutes, COBE is looking to use such a newly established time frame as a possible opportunity for rethinking the traditional gas station as a place and less of a transient space. 

“Electric vehicles are the future. In our design, we want to offer drivers a much-needed and meaningful break in a green oasis. The energy and the technology are green, and we want the architecture, the materials and the concept to be green as well. Therefore, we’ve designed a sculptural charging station which can either stand alone or be incorporated with other facilities,” says Dan Stubbergaard, Creative Director and Founder of COBE.

“Time is precious, and we want to ensure that the time that people spend at our charging stations is a meaningful break for them. With the new stations, we are creating a space where, in addition to charging your car, you will also be able to recharge your own mental and physical batteries. In the 20 minutes that it usually takes to charge a car, you will be able to relax and have some fresh air, enjoy a cup of coffee, make phone calls or use some of the digital options available,” says Marie Kristine Schmidt, CXO at CLEVER.

While we may still be quite a bit away from complete conversion of both our automobile industry and further, our urban fabric, it is clear that the early attempts to understand the conversion's effects are underway, even if it does only start with the occasional charging park.