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Team European approached Archaus Architects Ltd to carry out the design and construction of two new showrooms for Porsche and Audi at 66 Cambridge Terrace, Wellington.
The Audi Hanger is a thoroughly impressive structure in terms of both its design and its functionality. From the outside, the hanger has an aura of understated elegance and majesty. Visitors enter through a glass and steel entry portal into the world of Audi. The curvature of the ceiling gives the inside of the building an expansive yet weightless appearance, creating a feeling of lightness and relaxation. Open, inviting, honest and above all, thoroughly human, the Audi hanger is a pure experience.
The term “transparency” when applied to the hanger, refers not only to it’s translucence but also to the clarity of its basic functional structures. Daylight represents the best form of lighting for top-class automobiles when it comes to presenting them in a natural and authentic environment. A broad glazed skylight has therefore been integrated into the roof allowing the sun to shine in. Despite its lavish glass surfaces the light entering the hanger is always evenly dispersed, controlled by tinted glass to the roof light and external louvers across the showrooms frontage.
The Audi showroom footprint is a simple rectangular form, however the complexity and interest is found in the expression of the structural truss members, which follow a curved profile. These are further enhanced by the large double height space across the front of the showroom, creating a dynamic and visually pleasing backdrop for the presentation of the display cars.
All Audi products and services are presented in the best possible manner. Audi strive to create a showroom that reflects the joy of innovation and the premium quality of their brand. As a result, all materials and finishes are to the highest quality, conveying a sporty, progressive and sophisticated brand.
The identity of the Porsche Marque not only manifests in the cars of unmistakable design, but also in Porsche’s distinctive Showrooms. The architectural design has a clearly defined appearance, which associated with the Marque helps to position its products positively within the customer’s perception and their environment.
A Porsche is always unmistakably a Porsche. This is why Porsche does not follow the frontage design trend of mass marques that use a lot of glass for their frontages in order to be able to show as many of their products as possible. A Porsche centre presents itself in a discreet way, but with a definite high-quality appearance. Only the light slot in the lower frontage allows a selective view of the interior. This increases curiosity and focuses the attention of passers-by on the marquee core and the uniqueness of Porsche sport’s cars. The cars are presented like individual precious stones in a valuable “jewelry case”.
The partially curved facade to the Porsche showroom is an extremely distinctive feature common throughout Porsche showrooms world wide. The glazed entrance slot is inviting and the continuation as a horizontal skylight extends the entrance to become a daylight passage in the sales area, creating a unique architectural ambience typical of Porsche. The double height volume presents a sense of space for what is a relatively small footprint. The combination of the silver interior of the curved main frontage and the black-grey trapezium sheet metal wall cladding creates an architecturally dynamic interior.
The Porsche image is defined by such characteristics as sportiness, performance and exclusivity. The very nature of the product means emotion plays a central role in the vision. This is not only expressed through the quality of design in the cars, but also in the design of the showrooms, which form the stage for displaying the brand.
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