The client’s brief entailed a challenging refurbishment of an existing run down Showroom, resulting in the creation of a modern architectural statement to house a new Volkswagen franchise. The site is located on a very prominent corner site in the North Shore, Auckland and due to planning constraints it was decided to retain the existing buildings rather than demolition.

My architectural solution necessitated in removal of the exterior and interior structure to form a new open 2 storied atrium showroom but retain the existing roof structure which required creative expressed structural supports and very challenging architectural detailing. The very striking industrial architecture was achieved by creating strong horizontal lines to the building. This was enhanced by using an APL 135 mm Flushglaze Structural System and recladding the balance of the building in Hardies Titan Board. The problematic existing pitched roof has been disguised by the use of aluminium louvers.

The interior layout took creative thought to include a 6-car display; customer Café; trendy Administration area; Sales, Services and Parts desks, within one open area, yet maintain distinctive department separation. Environmental impact and major cost savings have been enjoyed by the client in utilizing existing building components where possible with an estimated cost effectiveness of 40% less than a new structure without the loss of the final striking aesthetic appeal.

The client’s brief has been fully achieved by transforming an existing structure into what appears as a brand new architectural building, which has resulted in record sales in a declining market.