A Bold, Minimalist Experience: Lotus Cars’ First Digital Showroom Design in China

Connecting Human + Car

Lotus Cars, majority-owned by Chinese Geely Group since 2017, is changing its retail showroom model to directly engage with (and sell to) consumers, rather than through dealers.  This led to a small revolution in their design aesthetic for the company’s own retail stores, and the desire to create a space to be more experiential rather than merely a car showroom.   The direction is toward a more futuristic approach to their brand as they emerge into the China market.  Beginning with 3 showrooms in Shanghai. As a pioneer, the paradigm of the retail store has been evolving from the necessity-driven place to transact, to a space to leverage customer experience, rather than products

The Challenge.

When we began our work with Lotus Cars in mid-2021, the strategic challenge was to break the mold of the traditional car showroom and to be more engaging  A sense of discovery and awe with the luxury sports car brand would awaken among visitors.  Our aim was to design an experience space that caters just as much to the human (the DRIVER) as it does to the car.  

Clean lines, concise details, and a bold overall expression recall the brand’s DNA of simplicity and the founder’s own words, “Simplify, then add lightness.” – Colin Chapman.  We took this ethos to heart in the design.  Through a clear and sharp contrast between lightness and darkness, the human and the machine, the digital and the physical, the feminine softness and movement with the masculine machinery and efficiency — the retail space defines both in harmony.

The Design

For the new Lotus experience spaces in China, there are three strategically defined zones:  The Lobby.  The Gallery.  And The Lounge.  Each space is dedicated to a stage of the buyer’s journey and experience.

THE LOBBY Upon entering a Lotus showroom, visitors are offered an abstract glimpse into a future vision of the brand.  The story begins with the car as the hero.  The surrounding materials are dark, reflective, and represent an industrial quality.  Ample space is given to the hero car in the center, allowing people to have plenty of space to see (or photograph) it from multiple vantage points.  A dynamic digital element is introduced here as an abstract animated artwork to play a supporting role to the hero.  This not only can engage visitors with the space but offer a sublime notion of the technological advancements behind the future Lotus cars.  Here, emotional awareness of the brand’s luxury and innovation is generated

THE GALLERY Comparable to an art gallery, the expression of space appears engineered, tuned, and minimal so as to not distract or overwhelm attention away from the car.  Brightly illuminated, the ceiling and wall are one smooth metallic surface to form a clean, uninterrupted aesthetic.  All accessories, such as storage for parts components and digital displays, are recessed into the angled aluminum wall.  Visitors are encouraged to discover and gain insights into the cars in the Gallery.

THE LOUNGE If Lotus is “First, Last, and Always… For the Drivers,” this space offers a sense of comfort, luxury, and hospitality for guests.  The dedicated lounge provides a glimpse into the Lotus lifestyle with the drivers at its heart — with an espresso and refreshments bar, merchandise product display, heritage graphics, and premium-grade soft seating.  Through darker materials and warmer low lighting, customers can engage in more decisive discussions with salespeople during the buying process.  This can take place in the open lounge space or, more likely, in one of the private enclosed meeting rooms.

Experience Sells

Biology teaches us that the part of the brain responsible for our decision-making ability, the frontal lobe, is also the same part that controls emotions.  This important insight about consumer behavior leads to a very simple and effective design approach — to create spaces that capture a positive emotional reaction and evoke the senses for memorable human experiences.  

According to a study by the Canadian e-commerce platform, Shopify, more than 35% of consumers engage with brands via experiential moments, rather than simply the need to buy products.  In the coming year, 40% of top international brands have vowed that offering experiential retail would be a top priority.  “What we buy, and what we don’t, says everything about who we are,” says Tracey Wallace, Director of Marketing at MarketerHire.  It is an emotional connection they project about themselves.