EMERGENCY VEHICLE SHOWROOM & OFFICE BUILDING

CLIENT: NAFFCO FZO

YEAR: 2023

LOCATION: Jebel Ali Industrial Area, Dubai

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: oddo design studio

PROJECT VISUALIZATION: MARV Visual

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To understand the concept we need to start from the location and site setting out. The allocated space determines the elongated shape of the building with two main areas that are clearly separated - both visually and by their use. The open showroom area consisting of ground level and mezzanine, and  the more closed off office area consisting of ground floor, mezzanine, first and second floor.  First and second floor are the same. One typical office layout was repeated twice, providing the necessary work space and giving the needed height to the building -  making it visually dominant over the factory building it is leaning against and sharing it’s back wall with.

 

Landscaping in this limited space is minimal but impactful. Water mirror reflects the main area of the showroom giving it more grandeur, while the small green island emphasizes the main building entrance at the opposite side.

Vehicle entrance to the showroom is provided directly from the factory - through the shared wall. On the showroom side these garage doors are hidden by the sliding wall panels, keeping the space clean and minimal with the emphasis on the displayed vehicles.

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Considering the building is located in the industrial area and is predominantly used by day, we couldn’t lean on ambient lighting to create the visual impact inside the glass borders of the showroom.  Instead we went for a white, sculptural structure consisting of the said columns and gypsum ceiling. This structure is neutral enough to perfectly showcase the exhibited vehicles while simultaneously providing that visual interest and catching the onlookers eye.

 

Showroom wraps around the office area enveloped by the secondary shell –  brass finish modular facade consisting of repeated perforated metal sheets that make this area of the building more closed off, providing the productive work environment. Please note, that showcased layouts depicts the maximum use of space when it comes to number of offices and can be easily readjusted to fit any specific need. The façade supports this flexibility as position of the windows can be easily readjusted as well, without an impact to the facade’s aesthetic. Metal sheets in front of the windows can be opened providing unobstructed view and ventilation.

 

Main architectural element of the showroom – sculptural, umbrella shaped columns and their connection to the gypsum ceiling with organic shaped skylights that provide additional visual interest to the space by letting in more light and providing interesting view to the sky above. Elevation drawings clearly show dynamics and architectural rhythm between the showroom, office section of the building and the factory. Besides it’s flexibility when it comes to function of the space - idea behind the calm, modular building shell is the contrast it gives against open, dynamic and dramatic architecture of the showroom.

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The main pedestrian entrance is kept minimal and blended to the rest of the aluminum facade by the use of the same perforated panels – only this time they are fixed in place, perpendicular to the body of the building, providing the access to the airlock area. The main focus and the indicator of the entrance is NAFFCO logo itself.

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Check out our Award Winning project in collaboration with Marv Visual here.