Car Dealership | Commercial | Location: North Shore, Auckland | Client: Continental Cars | Architects: Ignite
MSC was engaged by Continental Cars to undertake structural engineering design and construction observation for BMW North Shore’s new state-of-the-art showroom and workshop.
Located on a challenging site between Auckland’s northern motorway and the busy Wairau Road, the new car dealership was considered to be the largest car dealership in New Zealand at the time of construction. Challenges for designing the building included an 8m elevation, which required the dealership to be built on four levels.
A key feature of the dealership is the 8.5m high double-storey showroom with the second-floor office space overlooking the atrium. The second floor further features a carpark and used sales areas. The third floor houses a workshop and storage areas, and the fourth floor features a mini-showroom facing the motorway.
Outside parking is available adjacent to levels 1-3 and a new set of traffic lights offers access onto one of North Shore’s busiest regional roads.
Prior to and during construction, significant liaison was required with Auckalnd Transport because of the location of the site requiring a top-down palisade wall construction for excavation during enabling works. Another challenge the team had to face was after the construction team had unexpectedly encountered poor soil to the south of the site. This required significant redesign of the foundations to add deep piles.
The result is an impressive new car showroom, offices, used car sales space, workshops and client waiting rooms, providing a high profile for BMW right in the heart of Auckland’s busy North Shore.