ORIGINAL ARTICLE: The Rise of Luxury Car Galleries
For some wealthy petrolheads, they are turning to luxury car galleries to showcase their rare motors.
Typically, rich car lovers tend to have a collection.
But if the collection continues to grow, where will they put them?
They cannot be parked in the street and the garage is already full.
Until recently, the only solution was to store them in a secure garage or warehouse nearby.
Architects are now creating specially designed ‘car art galleries’ and properties built around cars so the wealthy can drive their luxury motor into the dining room or park it next to the indoor pool.
Garage Deluxe
Garage Deluxe is a venture from London-based studio Jonathan Clark Architects, a specialist in commercial interiors and bespoke residential design.
The idea is straightforward: create an underground parking facility that rivals the amenities of a luxury basement gym or spa.
Built with either pre-cast or in-situ concrete, the most efficient approach to excavating such a sizeable space is through the cut and cover method, avoiding extensive tunneling.
But depending on site conditions, that is an option.
Access to the luxury car gallery is via a large hydraulic-activated ramp door. When not in use, the access folds back into the landscape.
Fixtures, finishes, scope and depth are all down to the client.
Although fundamental elements such as the slatted timber concealing services can be adapted to any size.
Heating is imperative for preserving delicate classics, while combustion engines need robust ventilation for underground use.
The possibilities are endless; for instance, a car lift could effortlessly substitute the shallow ramp in a compact location.
Jonathan Clark
The founder of Garage Deluxe, Jonathan Clark, likens the display of luxury cars to an artwork display, saying:
“You wouldn’t keep a Rothko in the basement under the stairs – you’d hang it in pride of place with good lighting and space around it.
“We view cars as works of art in their own right, and believe they should be given as much thought as artworks.
“But luxury car collections are [sometimes] crammed in leaky old barns.
“They should be kept in an environment where you can show them at their best.”
Clark also runs the more conventional Jonathan Clark Architects.
He founded Garage Deluxe so he could combine his two biggest passions – architecture and cars.
When it comes to his car collection, Clark owns “a couple of Porsches, a Ferrari and an Alfa Romeo”, which he says helps him connect with his car-loving billionaire customers.
He said:
“It is about creating spaces for beautiful cars to sit in a gallery-like environment.”
The architect says money is often no issue for his clients, given that the cost of a small car gallery starts from £2 million.
However, gagging clauses mean details of the projects remain under wraps.
Clark elaborated: “I went into a tiny bit of detail about one client with somebody else who wasn’t a client, but he’s in that world and he knew exactly who it was, just from me giving this tiny little snippet.”
Despite creating bespoke luxury car galleries, Jonathan Clark has lost out on projects.
One was an “underground car cathedral” for a billionaire with 25 cars in a field next door to his house in France.
He explained: “He wanted to do it in such a way that no one would really know they’re there.
“We designed this double-height space with a mezzanine so you could chill out and entertain. What better way to look at your cars than from above?”
He designed the space so the vehicles could be driven down a ramp and circle down into the basement.
At nearly 3,000sqm, Clark added: “It was very Thunderbirds.
“It would have been a wonderful project to work on.
“It was quite minimalist, in the way that most art galleries are quite minimalist because you want to create a beautiful environment, but at the same time you don’t want to necessarily compete with what’s going in there.”
One British project is a car display room next to the client’s underground swimming pool.
Clark says: “I imagine it’s quite good for entertaining and parties and things like that. It’s a different way of presenting a car.
“There’s another one we’re looking at where you could be swimming in your swimming pool … [dive] down under the water and you’ve got a glass screen [so] you can see through to where the cars are under the pool.”
These luxury car galleries often include turntables, workshops, wash bays and space for teams of workers employed to maintain the collection.
Clark added: “If you’ve got 25 cars, you can’t just leave them – you need somebody turning them over taking them out for a little spin.”
The emergence of luxury car galleries marks a significant shift in how wealthy enthusiasts interact with and showcase their prized motors.
These curated spaces not only serve as a testament to the beauty and craftsmanship of high-end automobiles but also as immersive experiences that celebrate the passion and lifestyle surrounding them.
As technology advances and architectural innovation continues to flourish, we can expect to see the rise of even more extraordinary car galleries, each offering a unique blend of opulence, sophistication, and automotive excellence.
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