Q New York (Aston Martin U.S. Showroom)

Agency: Alexander Zilberman Architecture P.C.
Client: Aston Martin

With branding, presence, and positioning as their overarching goal, Alexander Zilberman Architecture (AZA) collaborated with the brand design team for British luxury automaker Aston Martin, adopting the mantra, “the car is the star” to create the first North American showroom.

Envisioning a seamless, immersive environment for a curated brand experience focused on ultra-high-end clientele interested in customizing their own vehicles, the luxury experience merges technology, sleek materials and carefully detailed interior architecture. With monumental glass panels, the 5,000-square-foot Park Avenue storefront connects passersby to this showplace of Aston Martin latest roadsters and hypercars. The design of the recently completed Q New York – a collaboration between AZA and the iconic brand – builds on Aston Martin’s exacting attention to detail to produce a flawless, unified aesthetic that showcases the “star.” The street-level exterior modifications at 450 Park Avenue harmonize with the building façade, respecting architectural lines and form. Each storefront bay features chamfered metal panels in champagne color and custom mosaics, defining the showroom from the passerby perspective. Enclosed in floor-to-ceiling, large-format glass panels that replaced original building components, the design connects the street and car display areas visually – a gesture with considerable impact both from outside and inside. At the showroom entrance, one’s eye is drawn immediately to the displayed automobiles. Elements in natural wood and stone focus the visitors’ eyes in this direction, including the elegant sign band over the door and the sculptural lighting array hung inside. The pendant chandelier comprises 3,000 hand-blown, mirror-coated glass globes, 900 of which contain LEDs. Each of the 900 point fixtures are individually programmable for dynamic capability to set and preset different moods or kinetic patterns. This one-of-a-kind custom installation creates the effect of stars or city lights reflecting off car surfaces. Beyond the entrance display, clients are treated to more intimate environments in the inner core for their curated customization experiences. The library area features European quarter-sawn walnut veneer and a curved wall-ceiling form, forming a relaxed and focused setting. Walnut floors, a gracious dining-room-style “spec table,” and cozy lounge furniture emphasize the luxurious aspect of Aston Martin brand and support a one-of-a-kind guest experience. The adjacent virtual stage area presents a fully-immersive environment dominated by a 3X-foot-wide, full-height video display for state-of-the-art visualizations of the customized vehicles. Leveraging advanced technologies, the massive screen simulates a personalized experience of creating and driving a specific model car with the client’s chosen materials, colors and other options – as it provides a real-time connection to Aston Martin headquarters and U.K. production team, virtually available to answer queries and offer ideas.