Astra commissioned this complex to bring together showrooms and offices for their automotive brands Isuzu, Daihatsu and Nissan Diesel. Each brand has a different identity, but all required equal exposure, and needed to be arranged in a coherent system. A boulevard ‘spine’ allows equal frontage for all the brands and unifies the development. A slab linking the roofs of the buildings flanking the site’s entrance gives the appearance of a gateway. The principal construction materials are steel with aluminium cladding, giving a lightweight, industrial, automotive ambience. Parts of the buildings are covered with grass, and the lawn is tilted to make it more visible, for a strong sense of ‘green’.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture