Stubbs Rich architects, based in Bath, have reinforced their reputation as one of the leading automotive showroom designers in the UK with the opening of Volkswagen’s largest dealership in the country.
The car manufacturer’s flagship Motorline Volkswagen dealership in Coulsdon, south London, is now complete and open for business following two-and-a-half years of collaboration between the design team, client and contractor.
Stubbs Rich came up with the design for the two-storey showroom, placing an emphasis on making the dealership both visually striking and practical.
Stubbs Rich partner Mike Rolfe said: “Early feedback from Volkswagen has been extremely positive. We were determined to provide a showroom that had a workable design, but didn’t want that practicality to be achieved at the expense of a powerful aesthetic impact. We, and most importantly the client, think we have managed to achieve both elements.”
The Volkswagen showroom’s bold design ensures the dealership acts as a landmark on arrival into the Coulsdon area and Gateway Business Park, standing proud above the adjacent A23 Farthing Way. The 19-car showroom addresses the road frontage, maximising customer visibility and natural light.
A 16-bay workshop, with car deck above, provides a contemporary aftersales facility for customers.
Thanks to a combination of on-site energy generation, rainwater harvesting and optimised building performance, the development has achieved a BREEAM rating of Excellent.
The new build facility is not Stubbs Rich’s first in the area, with the practice also having designed the adjacent Audi dealership. Stubbs Rich’s work in Coulsdon builds on their extensive work with some of the world’s leading car brands. As well as Volkswagen and Audi, Stubbs Rich have designed dealerships for Mini, Volvo, BMW and Land Rover.
Mike added: “Whether it is designing a dealership from scratch or embarking on a refurbishment project to bring a building back to life as a car showroom, we have a tremendous amount of experience on which to draw as a practice. Automotive projects pose plenty of challenges from a practical perspective, but at Stubbs Rich we enjoy devising creative, eye-catching solutions that ultimately enable our clients to display their products in the most striking way possible.”
