The goal was to sell lifestyle, not merely vehicles. The space needed to function as a platform for performance and belonging. At times it acts as a refined display of high-end vehicles; at others it becomes a cultural hub hosting striking car reveals, brand launches, celebrity gatherings and live music events. Every element required emotional resonance as well as functional clarity.
Design Concept The concept reimagines the dealership as a spatial manifesto for contemporary African luxury within the automotive world. It responds to cultural fluency, urban identity and the sensory richness of Johannesburg. Instead of a single showroom, the building unfolds as a journey defined by contrast and transformation.
Spread across two levels, the facility embodies two symbolic identities: day and night, expressed through lighting, materiality and atmosphere.
The upper level faces Winnie Mandela Drive with openness and transparency. Natural light floods the main showroom where vehicles are displayed as artworks. A coffee bar and boutique retail area enhance the experience, curating hospitality and lifestyle around the brand. The space is social, bright and welcoming, functioning as a gallery of design and craftsmanship.
Below, the atmosphere shifts dramatically. The former workshop is recast as a darker, moodier environment adaptable to showroom or entertainment venue. Light, sound and movement transform the space into an urban theatre. Supporting zones, including a photography studio, reinforce the dealership’ s dual identity as a place where culture is created rather than observed.
Façade Overview The façades are clad in IBR sheeting to create a cohesive identity that aligns with the industrial context. The building presents a bold monolithic form punctuated by framed openings that maximise views toward Winnie Mandela Drive while ensuring interior comfort. A composition of steel and glass blurs the boundary between inside and out, opening the eastern edge to external activities on the lower level and framing vistas across central Sandton from above.
Expressive steel elements root the architecture within the Pharoah visual language. At the main entrance, a floating steel halo establishes a sense
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