Post by drew on Oct 13, 2009 6:33:25 GMT
New Audi centres opens in London
The world’s largest Audi Centre – West London Audi – is officially being launched with a huge party for the capital’s top glitterati. Among the guests will be Bryan Ferry, Gordon Ramsay, Dominic Cooper, Jamie and Louise Rednapp, Phil Glenister, Keeley Hawes, Rupert Penry Jones, James Cordon, Ronan Keating, Beverley Knight, Davina McCall, Sir Bobby Charlton and Sir Jackie Stewart.
The imposing new building, which represents a major investment of £45 million by Audi UK, consolidates the brand’s position as one of the global leaders in prestige car manufacturing.
Six years in the planning and execution, the stunning new 190,000 sq ft Audi Centre is prominently located adjacent to the elevated section of the M4. Its seven storeys incorporate three showroom floors capable of displaying as many as 116 cars, and two basement levels housing a 32-bay workshop and extensive parking facilities. The top two storeys are given over to the Audi quattro Rooms – a business and creative complex which operates as a conference centre.
The highly distinctive curved structure conceived by architects Wilkinson Eyre, famous for the design of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, provides an impressive showcase for the fast expanding 33 model Audi range.
The basement levels are an engineering marvel – they are built below the water table level (and the River Thames) and extend on all sides right up to the boundary lines of the premises.
