Lexus arrives in Queenstown
The country’s newest Lexus store is located in Queenstown and is the seventh dealership in the Lexus nationwide network.
It is owned by GWD Motor Group, which has outlets in Invercargill, Alexandra, Gore and Queenstown.
The angular building was designed by acclaimed Arrowtown architect Anna Marie Chin to reflect the strong design ethos of the brand and is itself a sculpture.
“The vision to have Lexus in Queenstown started around three years ago after seeing the accelerating growth in the area,” said Glen Rutherford, the CEO of Lexus Queenstown.
“We were a Lexus service centre and approached Lexus New Zealand about the opportunity.”
“Our vision and design of the “Lexus Lounge” had to fit with the dramatic landscape and the luxury product.”
The GWD Motor Group wanted to do something extraordinary and provide its clients with a visual and aesthetically pleasing experience, reflecting the start of the customer journey with Lexus said Rutherford.
“The design brief from GWD Motors was to make it unique and fit in with the environment,” said Chin.
“They’re quite progressive. It had to highlight Lexus as a forward-thinking brand and it also had to be compact as there wasn’t a lot of space.”
The dealership, near Queenstown airport, has the Remarkables as a dramatic backdrop.
“They’re stunning, rugged yet beautiful at the same time. The building is designed to respond to its surrounding.”
Lexus of Queenstown is not a conventional car showroom either.
“It’s a different way of displaying cars. The roof opens up, it’s not a static space,” said Chin. The platform for the vehicles sits in a gallery-like space.
“The lounge has a warmer more intimate feel, a bit like a club lounge,” said Chin.
The main structure was built off-site in Invercargill and then trucked to Queenstown for installation, where the external and internal finishing was completed.
“We wanted to minimise disruption to the rest of the site,” said Chin. “It was also designed to be moved in the future if necessary.”
“With the rapidly expanding Queenstown and Wanaka region, and our own expanding Lexus sales – up 16 per cent this year - we felt it was time to provide a better level of support to the region.”
