London-based designers Jonathan Clark Architects have created what they describe as the ‘ultimate underground creation’ for the car collector who has everything – a subterranean lair capable of storing at least twenty-five cars in climate-controlled comfort.
The Garage Deluxe concept was designed for a specific client, intended to be tucked beneath the rolling fields of a client’s Swiss house (one of many houses, no doubt). From the outside, all that’s visible is a curved glass pavilion, with a large hydraulically operated door set into the ground at the end of a drive to reveal the entry ramp.
Once inside, a semi-circular ramp leads you down into a spacious lair, will walls clad in wood, exposed concrete, and daylit streaming in through three roof lights set flush with the grounds above. Think of the space as an ultra-sophisticated underground car park, with all the rough edges polished to perfection and a high-powered ventilation system to suck out exhaust fumes concealed behind the timber strips.
Fluted, tree-like concrete columns support the structure, while the circular roof lights are positioned above revolving turntables that help the owner manoeuvre and display his collection. There’s also an entertaining space, set on a mezzanine above the parking, with a view across the cars and all the accoutrements of a high-end basement conversion, including bar, wine cellar, and cinema rooms.
Clark reckons the entire project could be built for around £12m – rather less than the total cost of the assembled cars shown in these renders. If this particular project doesn’t get off the ground, Clark and his team have developed several more structures in a similar vein under the banner of Garage Deluxe. These include basement extensions, barn conversions, and modernist pavilions.
Currently finishing off a (real world) supercar dealership in Kent, the studio will surely soon be burrowing below ground to keep the world’s scarcest supercars safe from harm.
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This article is part of The T3 Edit, a collaboration between T3 and Wallpaper* which explores the very best blends of design, craft, and technology. Wallpaper* magazine is the world’s leading authority on contemporary design and The T3 Edit is your essential guide to what’s new and what’s next.
Jonathan Bell is Wallpaper* magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor, a role that encompasses everything from product design to automobiles, architecture, superyachts, and gadgets. He has also written a number of books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. His interests include art, music, and all forms of ephemera. He lives in South London with his family.
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