Audi opens flagship ‘Lighthouse’ development
August 20, 2009 by George Skentzos
In a time when most manufacturers around the globe are cutting back on expansion in the wake of the economic downturn, Audi Australia has officially cut the ribbon on its flagship ‘Lighthouse’ development in Sydney.
While motorists have been able to gawk at the new facility for a few weeks now, the $50 million ‘Lighthouse’ brand terminal on South Dowling Street in Sydney has now officially opened its doors to the public.
Demonstrating the German luxury carmaker’s confidence in the Australian market, Audi says the development of this flagship facility – the largest of its kind in the world – was embraced by the company’s global Board of Directors.
Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, responsible for global sales and marketing, opened the facility earlier today with Audi Australia’s managing director, Joerg Hofmann.
“The Audi Lighthouse terminal development in Sydney is part of a major investment campaign by AUDI AG. We will expand our product range to 40 models by 2015 on our course to become the most successful premium brand worldwide,” Mr Schwarzenbauer said.
The eight-level, 16000+ square metre facility located at Victoria Park was designed by Audi’s master architect, Allmann Sattler Wappner and interpreted for Australia by the renowned Johnson Pilton Walker.
“With 45 million cars per year passing the site, this impressive facility will quite literally be a lighthouse between the CBD and the airport. With 100 metres of street frontage on this busy arterial road, no-one will miss this extraordinary brand statement. It will raise awareness of Audi to a completely new level in Australia,” Mr Hofmann said.
It incorporates a retail showroom for both new and approved pre-owned Audi vehicles, customer facilities including a children’s play area, lifestyle shop, business centre, the Audi Café Bavaria and an aftersales centre.
Trading as “Audi Centre Sydney”, the building will also become the head office of Audi Australia as the brand prepares to reach 15,000 unit sales locally by the year 2015 at the latest.
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Great building, but just like Audi’s cars, it’s handsome without being beautiful and it doesn’t really excite or surprise me. I think it may date quite badly as well; but it looks good now. If they had built it like an actual lighthouse it would have been far more special.
It looks like the main objective of the place is to make the buying experience exactly that; an experience. I think that’s a good thing. After all, you come away from buying a car losing a reasonably large amount of money so you might as well make a day of it.
I think it would have been a nice touch to have a Bang & Olufsen Showroom in there somewhere. After all, they do the sound systems for new Audis so it would make sense. It would also make sense that someone might want to buy a B&O system after hearing it in their new car – they are pretty magnificent.
hats off to Audi for investing that sort of money on a new dealership and head office in Sydney.
Audi are really making people sit up and take notice right now, they are making some very desirable cars.
At risk of incurring the wrath of many; I have to say that I just don’t understand or agree with this approach to selling cars. I am certainly part of Audi’s target market and I just don’t see the purchase of a car as anything other than a chore and an endurance test. I don’t want to make friends with the salesman or hang out at the dealership or in their associated cafe or look at their artwork or even enjoy the architecture (no matter how good it might be). And I certainly don’t want to pay more for the car to fund this type of approach. All I want is to get the deal done in quickest and most economical way. It follows that I for one will not go to a dealership like this; and many of my colleagues also say similar things. I am sure this approach alienates many people because the money to pay for it must come out of the purchase price of the cars and the service costs.
Looks like the parties at that place will be going off!!!!
Brett, as the article says, this is also their head office, which justifies a large amount of the cost. It also means Audi Australia management can interact much closer with the sales side of the business and get a better idea of how Audi is perceived and what features the buying public want. More importantly though, and this is how it was sold to Audi AG (who footed the bill, not Audi Australia), is that its a giant billboard for Audi, and as stated in an interview, something like 30 million cars will drive past each year, thats’ massive advertising reach. Its a big ‘Audi is here to stay’ statement, which adds to their prestige. Sure, the cost will be recouped through car pricing, but thats the same for all advertising.
I think it looks great.
Brett, I think you are missing the point of the building. Unlike yourself it seems, most people would consider spending $50k or $100 + on a new car an ‘experience’, worthy of classy surroundings and decent cup of coffee while you chat with the salesman.
Otherwise, I’m sure Audi wouldn’t mind dropping your new car off in front of your house and dropping the keys in the letterbox.
Hands up those on the forum outlaying $80K on FWD VW’s sorry Audis?
i’m kinda with you brett,
before i’d step into a place like that,i’d like to know i’ve got the ‘BONED’price,then drink their coffee and chat..
What an ugly building, sticks out like a sore thumb in this area (I drive past it everyday).
Realist, almost all Audis that cost that much have Quattro. The only ones that I can think of that are front wheel drive and cost that much are the base A6 and the TT Roadster and they’re both very good cars. Most Audis have the Quattro system but the ones that don’t are still fine cars, especially the TT. Besides, it’s not as if front wheel drive is a bad thing. The TT performs like a proper sports car should and the base A6 is never going to be bought by the sort of people that would ever see the benefit of rear wheel drive anyway.
Quite right alex, and i beleive the Quattro can be optioned on anyway to most Audis.