1:42 pm, July 22, 2024
Bentley Motors has held a topping-out ceremony for its new design centre in Crewe.
It marked the completion of the structural phase of the building’s construction, with Bentley chairman and CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser plus board members Andreas Lehe and Matthias Rabe, who are responsible for manufacturing and R&D respectively, attending.
The new centre, which will be completed next year, will see Bentley’s ‘Front of House’ building, which dates back to 1939, boast a fresh design and architecture.
It’ll be about twice the size of the previous design centre and will be home to around 50 designers, covering exterior, interior plus colour and trim.
An aerial view of the new Bentley Motors design centre during construction
Rabe said: ‘We are currently in the middle of a design revolution that will help define a new chapter for Bentley design, as part of our Beyond100 transformational journey.
‘Building an innovative, creative environment for our designers to drive the development of future BEV models and more extraordinary products is key to our aim of becoming the world’s leading sustainable luxury mobility company.’
The strategy will see Bentley reinvent its entire product range to support a fully electrified future. The manufacturer regards the design centre expansion as a crucial part of its £2.5bn investment programme in future products and the Pyms Lane factory in Crewe.
Lehe added: ‘Modernising our site not only gives a clear commitment to a long-term future in Crewe, it also shows our ambition that to continue to invest in state-of-the-art buildings will help establish a benchmark position in truly digital, innovative, highly flexible, luxury car development and manufacture.’
Main image shows how the new design centre will look from the front
