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Project Details:

Location	- CBD’s of South Africa
Role	- Project Architect
Project Type	- Motor Retail
Commissioned	- 2006
Status	- Completed 2006

With Alchemy Architects vast experience in Brand Architecture the practice was appointed to localise the SEAT motor manufacturing brand into South Africa by implementing the first 10 SEAT franchises nation wide. Gauteng with 4 facilities located in Hatfield, Melrose Arch, Boksburg and Randburg. Kwa Zulu Natal with 2 dealerships in Durban and Pine Town. The Cape Region had another 2 facilities in Claremont and Bellville. 1 dealership for the Eastern Cape situated in Port Elizabeth and finally 1 showroom for the Free State located in Bloemfontein.

The project dubbed ‘Project Matador’ had to remain confidential while Alchemy Architects prepared all conceptual designs based on the Spanish Corporate Identity guidelines. These designs were prepared together with sourcing as far as possible local equivalent finishing materials for approval by Barcelona prior to implementation.

The one complicating factor of this implementation was that each proposed SEAT facility varied vastly from the next. From converted historic hotels such as Claremont to a retail space within an existing building like Melrose Arch and Durban to virtually a new built showroom of Hatfield and Bellville. Technical documentation had to be prepared for each site. Local authority approvals and negotiations with Heritage bodies had to be undertaken so that construction could commence timeously. With in all this the SEAT brand could not be compromised with Barcelona’s Corporate Identity standards.

The success of this brand implementation into South Africa is the time in which it took to implement, a complete 6 months from the initial conceptual designs to the built facility ready for the launch of the SEAT brand in July 2006.

Publications:
2006 July - SEAT Hatfield