When the new BMW Takapuna showroom opens later this year, it will not only set a new standard for how vehicle's are sold in New Zealand, but will also set up the dealership for the cars of the future.
Designed by Ignite Architects, the multi-level, state-of-the-art building sits on a high profile site, with a large street frontage at a busy intersection on one side, and motorway frontage on the other.
But while the site's high visibility was key to the decision for BMW to move there, it also presented some initial challenges to development.
Major initial earthworks of the sloping site involved 25,000m³ of excavation to form a suitable building platform.
And to maintain stability of the motorway on the upper boundary, 150 piles were driven to a maximum depth of about 10m, to create the retaining wall running full length along the back of the site.
Ignite's Jeremy Whelan, project director, and Scott Inverarity, project lead, worked closely with BMW’s brand architects to ensure the project was designed to meet strict corporate identity requirements.