of cars are presented to the passing eye on a reflective platter , so to speak , isolated against the backdrop of the building , and mirrored in the water . This area is used for new model launches and forms part of the indoor and outdoor lifestyle zone of the marketing component of the brief .
Approaching from the west , and travelling towards Midrand , the 6m volume of the workshop and training area , clad entirely in white translucent glass , is the dominant visible element . Between this mass of white glass and the branding wall is a gently sloping ramp , hovering above a generous sheet of cascading water . This ramp leads to the main entrance door , and allows vehicles to be driven up the ramp , into and through the lobby of the building , and out into the water-covered exhibition plaza facing the eastern approach .
The public areas of the building can be traversed by cars , which can be positioned at any point for maximum impact . The entire heart of the building is conceived and designed as a display space .
In order to give due prominence and a sense of real presence to the car-objects , the entire training , display and marketing area is penetrated from all sides by as much natural light as possible . The extensive use of high volumes and floor-toceiling glass of different translucencies provides shadow-free , crisp light to as much of the central areas as possible .
Through the careful arrangement and interplay of space , light , surface quality and water , the scale of what is a reasonably small building is manipulated to great effect .
Working Office Areas The working office areas , although carefully detailed and well arranged , are almost an afterthought to the Theatre of the Car played out towards the freeway and at the heart of the building .
Conclusion Thankfully , the developer and the tenant invested appropriate resources and design effort into this building ensemble . What could have been a deadpan average warehouse with clip-on offices , has become a landmark structure seamlessly integrating brand presence . The brand comes alive , not just in the image of the building ’ s form through architectural elements and signage , but in the daily corporate life of the building ’ s users . The car can go everywhere , and its staging becomes the glue that ties the disparate and seemingly conflicting elements of the brief together into a surprising and refreshing whole .
General Motors SA 59