Design Elements Strong In New Dealership

Design Elements Strong In New Wellington Dealership

The opening today of a state-of-the-art $7 million Shelly BMW & MINI dealership in Wellington represents a significant new direction for the New Zealand automotive industry.

Shelly BMW & MINI owners, Mark and Stacey Corbett, are the first in New Zealand, and among the first in the Asia Pacific region, to build a BMW and MINI dealership to new BMW Group international guidelines.

Team McMillan BMW & MINI and Jerry Clayton BMW in Auckland both incorporated elements of the new guidelines into their refurbished dealerships late last year but Shelly BMW & MINI is the first built totally from the ground-up.

The Corbett’s purchased a greenfield site at Kaiwharawhara 18 months ago with the intention of creating a truly innovative and unique automotive retail experience.

Mr Corbett says the showroom on Hutt Road fulfils those intentions and embodies brand elements that both BMW and MINI are synonymous with including innovation, quality, technology and design.

“Customers will be surprised and delighted by our new showroom,” he says. “A lot of attention has been paid to incorporating BMW and MINI elements into the overall experience from the actual building design right through to the manner in which our products are displayed,” he says.

Mark and Stacey Corbett worked closely with Wellington architect’s Designgroup Stapleton and BMW Group designers to create the new 1800 square metre showroom which is being built over a 3300 square metre site by local contractors LT McGuinness.

Nigel Dong of Designgroup Stapleton believes the new showroom will become a local identity thanks to its unique design features.

“The building could be described as modernist design and was created with three parts in mind. The front of house showroom with an administrative spine down the middle with a state of the art workshop facility at the rear.”

Large expanses of glazing across the front of the showroom create a transparent facade allowing people to see into the showroom during the day and night.

External louvers along this facade help to reduce glare and heat gain into the showroom while allowing sufficient natural light deep into the showroom reducing the need for artificial lighting during a large proportion of the day and making the building very energy efficient.

Mr Dong says the structural beams supporting the large spans over the showroom have been aesthetically integrated into the building’s design expressing the engineering spirit of the BMW brand.

“We have clearly separated spaces within the showroom ensuring dynamic and distinct brand experiences for both BMW and MINI customers while maintaining an open and transparent showroom which creates an inviting friendly atmosphere which also includes an area where customers can enjoy a coffee, view lifestyle accessories and ponder in a relaxing setting.”

Dong says high quality materials have been used and expressed within the building’s construction reflecting BMW’s own high standards with vehicle and motorcycle design and production.

“The floors in the showroom has been layered using high quality Italian porcelain tiles from Graniti Fiandre which have been specifically designed and manufactured for the BMW Group worldwide. Different coloured tiles have been used to represent different functional areas within the showroom further enhancing the BMW & MINI brands. The indoor and outdoor communication systems, such as signage and graphics have been integrated into the new facility further enriching the customer’s experience of the showroom and bringing their BMW experience to life. Joinery for the new showroom was developed by our company based on BMW Group guidelines.”

BMW Group New Zealand managing director, Mark Gilbert, says the Corbett’s significant investment reflects their level of passion and dedication to the BMW and MINI brands as well as the level of support the brands enjoy at a local level.

“BMW Group New Zealand is focused on providing customers with a consistent, dynamic, enjoyable driving and ownership experience. Our nationwide retail partners, including Mark and Stacey Corbett, share that commitment. BMW Group New Zealand is excited about the opening of the Shelly BMW & MINI dealership and I am confident it will be well received by the wider Wellington community given BMW remains the number one luxury vehicle brand in New Zealand. MINI has also been warmly embraced since its re-launch in 2002.”

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