8:36 am, May 2, 2021
Luxury dealer group H.R. Owen has been given the go-ahead for a £30m multi-franchise site in Hatfield that will also incorporate its HQ.
The new landscaped 110,000 sq ft site at Hatfield Business Park will comprise five showrooms, workshops, offices and events space.
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council approved the plans drawn up by leading architects Louis de Soissons, who said it would ‘create a market-leading sales and servicing destination for the region and bring several of the world’s most iconic brands together under one roof’.
The project, also worked on by developer Arlington, will have an east complex of buildings housing four showrooms, two workshops and offices each surrounding a shared mall.
The west side will house another showroom for H.R. Owen’s specialist group operation on the ground and first floors. There will also be support and infrastructure for the group’s luxury EV brands.
At the back will be more workshop spaces plus two storeys of internal vehicle storage.
The public-facing retail spaces have been arranged close to the highway boundaries, with the workshop and servicing areas on inward-looking spaces at the back.
A landscaped enclosure will screen the workshop parking compound from the customer parking areas.
H.R. Owen chief executive Ken Choo said: ‘In partnership with Louis de Soissons and Arlington, we have created plans for a truly world-class facility, delivering the latest in cutting-edge design and technology for our customers.
‘This site will become a real destination for automotive enthusiasts, ideally located and displaying some of the world’s most sought-after cars.’
Mark Wilkinson, director of Louis de Soissons, added: ‘We are delighted to be working with H.R. Owen and Arlington to create a new destination for their customers.
‘Our designs bring together the multiple services that H.R. Owen offer their customers into one complex of buildings that architecturally complement the context, centred around a clear, strong hierarchy of spaces.’
It’s part of a massive expansion programme for H.R. Owen, which bought the Hatfield site in December 2020 and represents marques including Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce.
Along with the Hatfield land, H.R. Owen also bought a 0.7-acre site in Ripley for the relocation of its Bentley showroom. In addition, last month it opened a new state-of-the-art Rolls-Royce showroom in Mayfair.
Images via Louis de Soissons
