An existing neighbourhood car dealership, incorporating sales, services and parts, wished to upgrade their premises and remain in the inner suburban area rather than decamp to an edge of town site. The brief was to provide a high quality and energy efficient new car showroom and ancillary facilities that would improve and consolidate the current situation and provide a positive contribution to enhance the local context. The architectural strategy chosen endeavored to integrate the new showroom into the run of adjoining shops, terminating in a new curved glass corner, to provide a large ‘shop window’ for the selling of motor cars.

The construction proposal involved the demolition of the existing single storey showroom (260 m2) and the construction of a new car showroom with ancillary accommodation at ground level (330 m2), with an office mezzanine and an underground car storage and display area (787 m2). The existing service building remained in use on the site during construction and was integrated into the new development by the new façade treatment of white glass mosaic tiles. The new basement area provides a comprehensive storage facility for cars that are currently parked above ground.

The architectural problem of attaching the new all-glazed showroom to the end of the run of shops has been addressed by providing a new 2 storey solid separating element that marks the transition from shops to showroom. The 2 storey solid element contains the office mezzanine over a retail display area. The new showroom is the same height as the ground to eaves dimension of the adjoining shops and extends to the corner. It is intended to provide a strong visual end to the block and to partly conceal the open forecourt to the rear. The building is naturally ventilated and the underfloor heating is provided by a ground source heat pump linked to 3 very deep boreholes.