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Typology of Design Concepts for Luxury Car Showrooms

Chapter · March 2022

DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-8667-2_7

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Typology of Design Concepts for Luxury
Car Showrooms
Mervyn Wong Hsin Jyi, Atta Idrawani Zaini, Dona Rose Amer Koesmeri,
and Ruzanah Abu Bakar

Abstract This paper attempts to characterize the typology of luxury car showrooms
in Malaysia. The architectural design of luxury car showrooms is subject to changes
and development of the economy, technology and behavior of the consumers in the
market. It is also dependent on the brand’s Corporate Identity (C.I.), which is formed
by cultural adaptations from its country of origin, competitors in the industry and the
demands of car owners. Each brand must incorporate their own C.I. into the design
of the showrooms to maintain standard requirements and safeguard the outlook and
operation of the showrooms. This paper employs a case study approach as its main
research method. The study is mainly based on observation on built examples and
draws conclusion from the input of architects who are specialized in designing car
showrooms in Malaysia. The findings indicate that the design typology of luxury
car showrooms is an expression of the values of the brand’s C.I., integrates lounge
spaces with the showroom area, constructed with premium quality materials and at
times, be shaped by the design guidelines provided by the brands to comply with
their international identity.

Keyword Luxury car showroom

M. W. H. Jyi (B) · A. I. Zaini · D. R. A. Koesmeri · R. A. Bakar

Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Malaysia
A. I. Zaini
e-mail: [email protected]
D. R. A. Koesmeri
e-mail: [email protected]
R. A. Bakar
e-mail: [email protected]

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022 55
M. Awang et al. (eds.), Advances in Civil Engineering Materials, Lecture Notes
in Civil Engineering 223, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-8667-2_7
56 M. W. H. Jyi et al.

1 Introduction

Luxury cars often inspire a sense of ambition and desire in consumers. It becomes
a lifestyle goal to own one. Therefore, luxury brand managements must effectively
identify the target consumers and strive to continuously attract, grow and main-
tain brand relationships in order to establish credibility and stay relevant in such
a competitive and volatile market [5]. Consequently, the requirement of a presti-
gious showroom becomes one of the considerations in purchasing a luxury car. The
concept of luxury is normally associated with higher prices, exceptional quality,
pleasure, exclusivity, aesthetic beauty and strong emotional and symbolic attach-
ments [1]. According to Manoukian [6], consumers are more likely to invest in
luxury-branded cars over other brands due to greater perceived value, exclusivity
and elevated consumer experience. Thus, the design of a showroom to display the
cars and as a platform where consumer relationships are built, then becomes essen-
tial as it will reflect the quality and branding of the company. This paper will reveal
some case studies of showrooms belonging to different luxury car brands located in
Malaysia and the design strategies employed to translate the concept of ‘luxury’ into
the showrooms’ design. The objective of this paper is to provide clear characteri-
zation of showrooms based on the C.I. This includes the design concepts, materials
and space organizations of the showroom.

2 Research Method

This paper observes the case study run by foreign car makers operated by local car
dealers. Targeted locations are in prominent cities in the country as these regions
have the busiest service centers. This research is a case study expecting to review
critical understanding, originality and creativity in theories and practices to frame
new findings that challenge conservative thinking in industrial design that will be
exceedingly valued in education and the automotive industries. This method is best
used when the research focuses on theory and concept development that emerge from
actual life events and settings.

3 Case Study—Showrooms

This paper examines 3 luxury car showrooms in Malaysia. The 3 sites have the
same similarity in terms of climate, material availability and authority’s compliance.
This provides clear comparison of the focus, thinking and design strategies of the
designer/architects in the same region. The table below shows the location of the 3
showrooms.
Typology of Design Concepts for Luxury Car Showrooms 57

Brand Location
1 Volvo showroom Kuching, Sarawak
2 Mercedes Benz showroom Balakong, Kuala Lumpur
3 Lexus showroom Kuching, Sarawak

3.1 Volvo Showroom

Since 2013, Volvo has initiated their new C.I. called the Volvo Retail Experience
(VRE), which embodies their core brand expression; “Scandinavian luxury that
understands people”. Inspired by the Swedish culture of ‘Lagom’, which means
the art of living a balanced, leisurely life, the design concept of Volvo’s showrooms
aims to create a calming environment for customers to work, relax and enjoy refresh-
ments or to browse their latest car models [2, 8]. The showroom conceptualized as
a living room incorporates elements of calm, clean lines and features bespoke Scan-
dinavian furniture to create a space that is both cool on the outside and warm on the
inside [3]. Unlike most car showrooms which are constructed with full transparent
glass façades, the contemporary exteriors of the new VRE showrooms uses white
translucent glass panels with only the transparent ones located strategically where
display cars are parked. The design strategy of the façade not only creates a visual
landmark for customers but also to direct the eyes of onlookers to the models on
display [3] (Fig. 1).
The warm interiors of the VRE showrooms create an inviting contrast to the cool
exterior and are demarcated into two zones; namely the Street Area and the Living
Room Area. The Street Area contains all product displays, the Car Studio, Acces-
sories Hub, Car Delivery Area and Consultation Points, all evenly spread throughout
the Street to provide various points of interest in the customers’ journey [3, 8]. At
the heart of the showroom is the Living Room Area which forms a cozy haven for
a more casual approach for Sales Consultants and customers to meet. Located here
are different living room spaces with varying seating options, the Reception Area,
the Coffee Bar Area, the Lifestyle Shop and the Kid’s Lounge. For both customer
experience and practicality, the space planning must integrate both the sales and
service areas completely, to design an open and comprehensive setting. The layout
must maximize efficient interaction between the Showroom Entrance, the Living

Fig. 1 Transparent glass windows set against translucent glass panels highlight the cars on display
58 M. W. H. Jyi et al.

Fig. 2 Left- The Street Area with product display; Right- The Living Area where customers can
relax

Room and the Workshop Areas so the staff can work effectively whilst ensuring that
customers are attended to swiftly. The Swedish culture of transparency expressed in
the usage of glass partitions also enable customers to see their cars being serviced in
the Workshop from the comforts of the Living Room Area [8]. The showrooms are
also furnished with bespoke furniture from Scandinavian interior-design company,
Senab. Each piece of furniture including the reception table, light fixtures, seating,
display panels and standalone pantry were designed to reflect the Volvo brand, unique
for its showrooms and are owned by Volvo. The interior design features the clean
and warm outlook of the Scandinavian scheme, mainly using the colors of white and
light oak timber (Fig. 2).

3.2 Mercedes Benz Showroom

Germany is a haven for car enthusiasts. Luxury brands such as Volkswagen, BMW,
Audi and Mercedes Benz originated from this country. For Mercedes Benz, the
showroom consists of the essential areas such as sales, product display, customer
lounge, service and shop. The showroom and adjacent rooms with customer access
are parts of the dealership where the corporate design needs to make the greatest
impression. Every element of the Mercedes Benz showroom, from structural features,
furniture, fittings, down to the choice of materials and color, serve to determine its
ambience. The design is composed of several brand-defining elements such as the
thin roof edge, horizontal structure of the glass façade, the row of columns, wall star
bearing the logo and the main entrance element [7]. The exterior of the showroom
features a horizontal glass façade topped with a thin, horizontal roof which together,
produces a homogenous design. The overhanging roof with a slim edge not only
forms a prominent feature but also functions to protect the glass façade from sun
and rain. A row of black columns is also placed in front of the glass exterior, which
has become the signature architectural element of the Mercedes Benz showrooms.
In addition to that is the wall star on which the brand logo is displayed, designed
Typology of Design Concepts for Luxury Car Showrooms 59

Fig. 3 Exterior design of Mercedes Benz showroom

Fig. 4 Mercedes Benz showroom at Balakong featuring glass facades and courtyards as elements
of sustainable design

so that its size and placement on the façade is perceived as exclusive, reflecting
the exclusivity of the Mercedes Benz brand. Alternatively, the wall star can also be
integrated as part of the row of columns (Fig. 3).
The main entrance of the Mercedes Benz showroom is designed to contrast the
glass façade. The entrance features a clean design with a projecting roof, highlighted
with a black outer surface and a white inner surface to create a welcoming effect
whilst being instantly noticeable to visitors. Sustainable design strategies had been
greatly implemented into the showrooms. This includes maximizing the usage of
natural daylight to reduce the energy consumed for artificial lighting. A combination
of glass facades and courtyards served to optimize the usage of natural light which
also has a major impact on the well-being and productivity of the employees (Fig. 4).

3.3 Lexus Showroom

The Lexus automotive brand, headquartered in Japan, is owned by Toyota Motor

Corporation. Although Lexus can be classified as the luxury division of the company,
the brand operates independently to bring quality luxury cars to the market [4]. Unlike
Volvo and Mercedes Benz, the Lexus dealerships do not require any specific design
60 M. W. H. Jyi et al.

Fig. 5 Lexus showroom in Kuching, Sarawak designed by Design Network Architects with facade
featuring advertising billboard

requirements to its external architecture, giving the architect freedom to design the
building forms and façades. However, the brand only demands that the exterior of the
showrooms feature a large advertising board installed as part of the façade, in which
it will be used for product advertisements which are changed regularly. The interior
design places more emphasis on expressing the concept of luxury to the customers.
Seating areas and lounges are positioned in prominent areas to integrate them into
the exhibition space more strongly. The lounge areas are also required to include an
adjacent open pantry for the convenience of customers. It is important that the lounge
areas express generosity while at the same time, with the type of furniture used and
its spatial layout, the lounge also provides a space of retreat without interrupting the
customers’ view of the vehicle display. The interior design also requires a mix of
black and timber elements. Finishes in dark walnut and the usage of timber flooring
at customer lounges not only convey elegance but also create a warm and welcoming
space. Lexus sets a high standard for the quality of interior finishes and fittings that
are to be incorporated into their showrooms, including the brand of the tiles and
sanitary wares used. This is to ensure that the end product of the showroom reflects
Lexus’ image as a luxury brand (Figs. 5 and 6).

4 Conclusion

The design typology of luxury car showrooms is greatly influenced by the

brand’s Corporate Identity (C.I.), development of technology and economy, industry
competitors and consumer demands. From the three case studies of luxury car show-
rooms above, it can be concluded that the luxury car brands have similar design
requirements for their showrooms so as to fulfil their respective C.I.’s conditions.
One of the main design characteristic of luxury car showrooms is the integration of a
comfortable and well-equipped customer lounge area with an attractive and engaging
showroom where products are displayed. The typology of the dealerships is also
shaped by the obligatory design requirements set by each individual brand’s C.I. as it
 Typology of Design Concepts for Luxury Car Showrooms 61

Fig. 6 Left- Lexus premium merchandise display in black and timber colors. Right- A Mark
Levinson audio system installed in an acoustical room for guests to experience the real-life sound
systems provided in Lexus vehicles

carries international identity. For brands like Volvo and Mercedes Benz, guidelines
for the exterior and interior design of the dealerships were provided by the companies
and must be strictly adhered to as representatives from the brand’s company head-
quarters are sent to audit the showrooms. It is also essential that designers incorporate
high-end construction materials to create an end product that is more premium, thus,
befitting the concept of luxury. The design of luxury car showrooms is bound to
evolve along with the growth of the brand it represents and the experience it wishes
to provide to its consumers.

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