“Imagine a home or luxury retreat built around your car. Picture creating the ultimate space to showcase your own automotive works of art,” said Marek Reichman, Aston Martin’s Chief Creative Officer, whose team will be responsible for a new bespoke design service for car enthusiasts and collectors known as Aston Martin Automotive Galleries and Lairs.
Revealed at Pebble Beach this month, the service is for anyone who would like to create a unique bespoke garage, their own Automotive Gallery or, for the truly adventurous, the ultimate retreat in which to keep their car.
“For the car enthusiast, the garage is as important as the rest of the house and a bespoke auto gallery designed by Aston Martin that either focuses on showing off the car or is part of a larger, integrated entertainment space with simulators and such, takes Aston Martin ownership to the next level.“
Marek Reichman, Aston Martin’s Chief Creative Officer
The new service is the result of the merging of two creative streams within Aston martin. One is the “Q” by Aston Martin, the marque’s bespoke personalisation service that works with customers to create unique automotive signatures. The other is Aston Martin’s in-house creative team, under the guidance of Reichman, which has produced the exquisite interiors of numerous Aston Martin dealerships around the world.
The team has been expanding its portfolio beyond the marque’s showroom. Last year, the brand inaugurated ‘The House of Aston Martin Aoyama,’ its first global brand centre. It is a state-of-the-art 1,000 square metres development that covers three floors and includes vehicle displays, a shop offering the brand’s ‘Art of Living’ products and experiences, as well as a space for relaxing and entertaining. In 2016, we witnessed the launch of the AM37 powerboat for which Reichman’s designers collaborated closely with naval architect Mulder Design and Quintessence Yachts, who engineered the innovative powerboat. The interior was fitted out by Aston Martin’s master craftsmen who had worked on cars such as the One-77, Vulcan and the new DB11.
Reichman’s team have also taken on a number of design projects for private residential developments in conjunction with leading architects and consultants. Currently, the team is working on its most high-profile project to date, the 66-storey Aston Martin Residences in Miami. Here Aston Martin’s design team partnered with developer G&G Business Developments as well as architects Luis Revuelta and Rodolfo Miani to design and build an architectural masterpiece located at one of the last available waterfront lots in Miami. The structure’s graceful lines soar over the iconic waterfront to offer sweeping views of Miami’s Skyline, Biscayne Bay and the Miami River. A limited-edition DB11 – the Miami Riverwalk – will be offered to 47 select condo owners while the owner of the tri-level penthouse will be awarded a Vulcan – the 800 horsepower V12 hypercar valued at $2.3 million, of which, only 24 examples have been made.
A natural evolution of these experiences has led to the launch of the Automotive Galleries and Lairs by the brand. It offers clients an opportunity to work with the Aston Martin’s design team who will then collaborate with renowned architects and consultants, particularly those with local knowledge and an understanding of the specifics of the brief.
Now, entire luxury homes or retreats can be created where the car takes centre stage. As an example, Obermoser arch-omo architecture has produced a stunning architectural design concept for an automotive lair that could house works of art including the Aston Martin Valhalla and the iconic Aston Martin DB5, in a subterranean circular space. The chosen car sits at the centre of this extravagant design that focuses attention on the car, while providing entertainment and leisure areas, along with living space for guests.
“Aston Martin has decades of expertise in staging cars in order to present them at their absolute best but also understands the importance of storage and maintenance of these living, breathing machines,” said Aston Martin Partnerships Director, Sebastien Delmaire. “Automotive Galleries can even be designed to fit the era if a customer has a heritage car. We are able to cover every requirement, whether it is to display single cars as pieces of automotive art or a full collection of cars in a private museum. These spaces provide an opportunity for people to create their own unique world where they can share their passion for cars with their guests. The opportunities are endless.”
