Buidling: C42
Location: 42 Champs Elysees Client: Citroen C42 is an automotive showroom designed by Manuelle Gautrand for Citroen. The name C42 derives from its location being in 42 lot of the famous Champs Elysees; the C stands for Citroen. The competition brief wanted a design that reopen the space and make the architecture a symbol of the company’s design achievements. Manuelle Gautrand manages to achieve this in a number of ways.
Project Outline The name of the project is Architectonics: Iconography, Technology and Surface. The project will be an automotive showroom. Depending on the ambition and site, the project can extend into several other related programs such as workshops, event spaces, administration hub, associated restaurants and café etc.
The building program of the showroom serves mainly as a museum for cars. Unlike many other automotive showrooms, it does not directly sell cars within. This gives the architect the freedom to perform the act of exhibitionism and highlighting Citroen branding within the architecture. This is especially apparent in the frontal glass façade, with the chevron of Citroen being introduced to the form. At lower levels, these chevron shapes appear flat. As one’s view continues upwards to higher level, these chevron shapes takes up a three dimensional quality. The front façade subsequently continues past the roof and wrapped the rear in a streamlined skin that alludes to automotive design. The front façade also utilizes a special red filter that minimizes the heat of the sun whilst creating a diaphanous nearly white atmosphere within.
The interest of the project as the title suggested is in the architectonics; the translation of ideas into built form from inception to realization. Built in this sense refers to the general construct of a building and the realization of a ‘concrete’ structure. The project will focus on three main topics namely iconography, technology and surface: Iconography In recent years, there is an increase of new showcases being built for modern mobility all over the world. International car manufacturers are increasingly keen in creating an architectural identity for their brands. Especially in recent times when consumers have become more demanding and with a greater choice of brands available worldwide, manufacturers are eager to strengthen their brand awareness and position themselves well for the future. An automotive showroom gives the manufacturers a great opportunity to make a statement about their brands. Therefore it is crucial that any design of a showroom to articulate and develop the means of conveying brandspecific languages. It is also equally as important that the built is bestowed with a appropriate sense of iconicity; the level of communication with the public beyond the conventional realm. Technology Automotive design and technology evolved simultaneously. It is perhaps the only design industry that requires designers to keep up with the latest technology in order to survive in the competitive fields. For a building that represents car, it is essential to have the same ambition as automotive designers. The proposal should seek to explore new and advanced construction techniques. This includes both structural and technical. Due to large spans required over display space, the design should actively seek to provide innovative suggestion to structural solution. Likewise regarding technical aspect, the design should aspire to a sustainable future. This could also be seen as a step in improving the brand’s image in public relation as the awareness of environmental issues continues to increase. Technology in the industry of car design also involves the use of new materials, such as new metal alloys that are lighter and stronger. In a sense that is the same case in architecture where architects and engineers look to invent, discover and utilize new materials that allows for new expression, flexibility, durability etc. Therefore it is also important for the design of the showroom to consider the use of new materials. Surface In architecture, the design of a building is based on a multitude of elements including spatial articulation, proportions, natural lighting, circulation etc. In fashion, it covers a broad range of aspects such as colours, patterns, materials, tactility etc. However, no design industry is akin to automotive design in the fact that it places strong focus on surfaces. The surface to a car is more than a protective layer. It is functional and expressive; functional in the shaping of form that assists in aerodynamics and expressive in the visual aesthetics of the form. The design should take up the similar design methodologies of multivalency in essence and surface to be explored as part of the architectonics. Surfaces in automotive can be also associated with the ergonomics and comfort of the design. It can also be extended into the tactile quality of different materials. All these aspect is to be considered in the design of the showroom in order to have a successful outcome. Automotive design is considered as front runners in the design industry. The design of cars dictates and influences other fields of design, forecasting what is to come in the future. Last but not least, the design of the automotive showroom should therefore also have the ambition to allow for futuristic and avantgarde concepts.
Inside the building, Gautrand designed a minimalistic space with constraint pallet of material and colours. The U-shaped staircase winds around the seven-level high atrium space from which a flight of central, vertical mast with eight platforms pierced through. The platforms are six metres in diameter and each one turns to display the car on all sides. On the underside of these platforms, reflective kaleidoscope-like array of mirrored stainless-steel triangles reflect the car underneath, alluding to Cubist paintings. The large void fronting the interior gives the building unity and grandeur and allows light to penetrate from the façade all the way to the other side of the space. It also allows cars to be hoisted to the display platforms via a lift system housed on the bottom floor. Display floors and walls are also covered with reflective red-and-white resin, while sliding glass railings protect the cars.
Buidling: Lexus Showroom Architect: Cox Architects & Planners Location: 359 Scarborough Beach Road, WA Client: Lexus
The Lexus Centre, designed by Cox, displays the evolving range of Lexus motor vehicles and technology. The Centre sits in concert with other vehicle dealerships along Scarborough Beach Road, its presence positively contributing to and ‘upping the ante’ along, Perth’s busiest retail commercial strip.The folded form with glazed facade provides a strong visual connection to Scarborough Beach Road. The roof appears to float with its large cantilever adding a sense of tension and drama. The transparency of the facade allows the vehicle product to dominate the overall impression of the centre. The illuminated Centre acts as a beacon at night drawing attention from the passing traffic. The centre is a restrained architectural response with a simple planning arrangement and structural outcome. Services and structure are seamlessly integrated into a minimalist building envelope. The brief was to provide a facility that reflected the Lexus pursuit of quality and technology. It was to house three separate but integrated facilities:
The Showroom The folded form embraces the showroom space with glazing to its perimeter to maximise exposure to passing traffic. The material palette and building detailing is restrained but crafted and aligned with the aesthetics of Lexus motor vehicle design. The Workshop The workshop facility is a robust ‘container’ element with a physical and visual connection to the showroom deliverately exposing the clean, efficient workshop operations. The Administration Hub The extruded administration ‘black box’ is located adjacent to the main showroom and houses all administration staff and facilities. The Centre has the flexibility for the showroom facility to convert to a function space for launching new vehicles and promotional events. A private showroom adjacent to a client cafe area allows the private delivery and handover of new vehicles. Flexible offices, with varied levels of privacy, form the backdrop to the open showroom that allows direct customer contact and private meetings.
Project Methodologies The interest in the project is in the realization of concepts. It is therefore crucial to set aside a series of research guidelines to shape the concepts. It is important to both look at current developments in the fields and at past development of similar typology. I am keen in looking into German Expressionism, Cubism and more recently in the Grand Projets of Paris. The idea of iconography in an automotive showroom might seem straightforward. However it contradicts with another basic programmatic requirement of a showroom, and that is the need for transparency. Transparency is crucial to allow for products to be displayed in pure exhibitionism. Though it is made known in the last century that complete transparency is not possible, nevertheless transparency would be a key aspect of developing the design of a showroom. Seen and not be seen; materials and surface articulation has to both have the ability to be seen through and have a strong visual impact, that would be another focus in this project. It is part of the design strategy in to recognize that an automotive showroom is in essence representing the products. Branding is to be placed on the forefront of designing with regards to surface, colours and other complexities. Part of the design strategy is to recognize that an automotive showroom represents cars. It represents stagnant and stationary forces of velocity. The design would most probably situate itself along the prominent roads with car dealership and thus always viewed at speed. The project therefore has to deal with addressing the speed and movement of the products it is displaying and speed of its environment into its built form.
Project Name: BMW Welts Architecture Firm: Coop Himmelb (l) au Location: Munich, Germany Client/ Owner: BMW
Zhixiong Lin (Xion) 3092236
ARCH 7201 Expression of Interest
Architectonics: Iconography, Technology and Surface
Architect: Manuelle Gautrand
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The BMW Welt, located in Munich Germany, is an automotive showroom / dealership designed by Coop Himmelb (l) au. The building consists of 5 programmatic blocks: Hall, Premiere, Forum, Tower and Double Cone:
their stay. It consists of restaurants and café. Double Cone The double cone is an event space acting as a public assembly space.
Hall The hall is conceived as large open exhibition space for the display of the different models of BMW. The ground level is left largely free with a full floor to ceiling height. Premiere The Premiere is a place for delivering the cars, with the concepts gearing toward enhancing the buyers’ experience. Forum The Forum is a separate event space for up to 1200 people which have the flexibility to turn into a theatre or conference room. Tower The tower is a place that encourages guests or customers to extend
The most significant part of the project is perhaps the harmonious combination between engineering and architecture. This is apparent in the design of the structure of the ceiling form and the double helix event space. The streamline dynamism of the building form reflects the appreciation of the slick and smooth form of BMW car design. Car design places high importance on surface design, this is manifested in the careful articulation of the surface of the double cone and the undulated ceiling surface.