Wilkinson Eyre Architects has completed work on the world’s largest Audi Centre in London.
The new 190,000 sq ft Audi Centre for Audi UK is prominently located adjacent to the elevated section of the M4, one of the busiest roads in the UK.
The seven-storey building incorporate three showroom floors capable of displaying as many as 116 cars, two floors of exhibition and conference space and two basement levels housing a 32-bay workshop and extensive parking facilities.
In the creation of the glass and metal external structure, Wilkinson Eyre drew inspiration from nature, art and science to create a sculptural form with sweeping curves that are reminiscent of a manta ray fish and the aerodynamic wing shapes of a B2 Stealth Aircraft.
The geometry is curved in both plan and section and is intended to be viewed from all angles — whether from above, at eye level or at speed from the adjacent motorway. A fully glazed raked façade provides an exciting shop window for the showroom spaces within.
The double-height spaces are filled with daylight in which cars can be displayed at a variety of levels and perspectives, while the roof is a 'standing seam' structure made from aluminium sheets, each around 40m in length without any joints.
Meanwhile, the building features a series of innovations, including a 70m wide mezzanine floor totally suspended by a series of raking rods from the first floor slab, a hydraulic car lift serving seven floors as well as a 9m deep basement.
