Car Exhibition Centre
Brief I am going to be designing a car exhibition centre that will be designed to show of a particular brands cars and their capabilities. The design should be flowing and modern with lighting that makes the interior look and feel exciting. The design will need to be spacious enough for the different activities that may take place within the building such as a showroom but also be versatile and be able to be divided or have separate rooms so that the building can be multifunctional. I would like the design to be full of natural light and also artificial light so that the space feels open and not enclosed unlike many buildings.
Specification - Multiple rooms with different purposes - A showroom - A customer experience room - An auditorium - A track for performance vehicles
Purpose & Function The final design should be a building that provides an immersive experience for customers and visitors that wish to explore the chosen car manufacturer and their products in further depth. The space should somehow resemble the brand and some of their products to be able to allow visitors to enjoy the space and experience best. For example, there may be a dedicated hand over lounge of their new vehicle or a driving track to experience products. The main purpose and function of the building is to allow visitors to explore different aspects of the automotive brand.
Location
The site will be located next to the M25 which will have new infrastructure put in place which will increase the accessibility to the site. I have decided to choose this plot of land as it is on the outskirts of London and near major transport links such as the M25, M11 and nearby train stations such as Harold Wood & Romford.
Primary Research Images
BMW Harold Wood
Mercedes-Benz of Lakeside
Research Evaluation From my research of and visiting places to explore the spaces that would be similar to my own I found that all car showrooms have many things in common. All of the showrooms visited are set out to be open plan with areas segregated by dividers rather than walls to prevent the room from feel closed off and cramped, it also allows a much better flow of light and lets the area feel spacious. The use of dividers is also affective as it allows the space to be versatile and adaptable rather than being fixed rooms. Glass walls also add to the effect of openness with natural light flowing in, as well as lots of artificial light and white walls to give the effect of a large space. The furniture used in these spaces is also in keeping with the architectural design such, for example, the furniture used in a Mercedes-Benz showroom at was very contemporary and minimalistic. This design is affective as it doesn't clutter the space. Some showrooms such as BMW Harold Wood have a building that is designed around the location which also allows a systematic approach to the experience allowing customers to work their way backwards. This design is very interesting as the glass walls follow to road on which it is placed on so that it looks exciting from outside too. All of the showrooms visited are always built in or near major towns or shopping outlets with good transport links.
Secondary Research Images
Car Showroom by “COMFORTgroup”
Designed by “COMFORTgroup” https://architizer.com/projects/car-showroom/
BMW Museum, Munich Germany.
Architect - Karl Schwanzer
Mercedes-Benz World, Surrey U.K.
Design Museum, Kensington London.
Natural & Organic
Industrial & Mechanical
Stage 1 Designs
For one of my designs I have decided to take inspiration from the well know car manufacture Audi’s logo. The famous inter-joining four rings was the starting point for this design also sending a hint towards gas cylinders. The aerial view of the building would make it clear that the design is based around the four rings logo.
Stage 1 Designs
Front
For my second design I decided to take inspiration from another automotive related object, the engine. In this design the building mimics the shape of a ‘v engine’. The longer narrow body would allow the front of the building to be a glass wall much like a traditional showroom, also allowing light to flood in and giving an excellent space to show off products and give visitors other experiences without feeling like they are in a dark and gloomy building.
Stage 1 Designs
In this design I have used inspiration from another mechanical triumph, the jet engine. I used the turbines in the roof lines to be like the swirling motion found in the jet engines. This can also be incorporated which a scale like roof which is also inspiration from other research.
Stage 1 Designs
This design took inspiration from ice crystals and the metal lattice structures. The sharp and angular edge designs can easily be linked to glass buildings. The ice effect would give an interesting exterior design as well as allowing the interior to link with the outside with the use of glass
Stage 1 Designs
This design is a variation of a lamp I saw, I thought that the shape of it with the inner tube was very interesting and could make an interesting building. The inner tube can be the main space with special features being in the center such as the cinema and other rooms placed around