Case Studies
Case Studies
Audi center in west London is the largest cars exhibition for Audi brand, which created by
Wilkinson Eyre Architects, take up six years in planning and execution, and officially launched
on October 12, 2009. This building was designed in order to consolidate the brand position as
one of the global leaders in prestige car manufacturing.
The external structure is made of metal and glass, in order to make the building modern in
its shape and functionality of Audi vehicles. Also, the roof is curved theme (standing seam
structure), made from aluminum sheets, the length of each sheet is approximately 40m without
any joints, and the actual reason for using the curves is to mimic a manta ray fish form and the
shape of B-2 stealth Aircraft.
Figure 7.7: Metal and glass external structure and curved roof
The showroom floors are fully-glazed raked façade with double height in order to allowing
better display for the cars from the outside and to allowing daylight to stream into the building.
And to get the required fully open floor with high ceiling a 70m wide mezzanine floor are used,
which suspended by a series of ranking rods from the first floor slab.
Figure 7.8: Showroom floor with fully-glazed racked façade with double height
7.2 Mercedes-Benz Museum
It was designed by 'UN Studio' architecture form, also completed and opened on 19 May
2006. It is considered as one of the classic architectural sites of the 21st century. In addition,
the Museum offers a fascinating insight into innovative design and provide a clear
demonstration that history is always moving forward.
It is located above a six-meter high hill, which rising as a vertical landmark above, and
raising the site above its surroundings as well as the round forms of the museum is harmonizing
with the hills and curves of the Neckar Valley.
The building acts as a gateway, it forms as a key hub on the motorists' way into town by
turning off the federal highway B 14 into the Neckar valley passing by the building. Its
topographic conditions used as the starting point for the planning, its purpose for the motorists
to perceive it as a welcoming presence.
Figure 7.10: Mercedes-Benz museum
Mercedes Benz museum consists of 9 levels covering a floor area 16500m2, which presents
160 vehicles and over 1500 exhibits. The height of the legend rooms are almost twice the
collection rooms.