Today people have great awareness and knowledge about the different car brands on the market. They identify with the car they drive and the brand's personality.
A car showroom must first and foremost be able to illuminate a car properly but it should also be a reflection of the brand. The feeling of the showroom, the structure, interior and lighting should reflect the statement of the brand. A car’s brand can be focused on functionality offering space and a safe car for the big family. The focus can be on being as energy efficient as possible with reduced carbon footprint, or being exclusive and expensive, offering a true driving experience. Regardless, with lighting we can contribute to the overall impression and increase brand values. When the customers enter a showroom they should recognize and be able to identify the car's brand. To achieve this you need suitable lighting knowledge and the right products and solutions. In this Light Guide we will give you important tips on how to do it and suggestions on what kind of products to use.
Enhancing light
Car showrooms tend to be very large and only use general lighting. This often ends up in a solution that feels monotone and rather unexciting. Our eyes need some contrast in both intensity and type of light to comfortably be able to see and orientate in the surroundings.
Lighting provides the possibility to create atmosphere and enhance focus areas. We like to divide the showroom into a few different parts. This provides the opportunity to differentiate the amount and type of light for each area. It is especially important for big car showrooms that rarely have less than 3-4 m of ceiling height. Try to bring the installation height down in some of the areas where there is no need for that vertical open space. It is possible to create a successful lighting solution for a car showroom when you add elements that harmonise the natural light and reflection from the outdoor space. Perhaps use lighting that resembles the natural light so we can see what the car will look like in action on a road.
Metal and finish
The shiny metallic surface on the cars should create a sparkling light effect. The lighting also needs to recreate the diffuse light from the sky to illuminate the finish of the car. A mixture of these two ideas often results in less glare and fewer unwanted reflections.
High ceilings
Luminaires mounted high up means that you will have to use higher wattage and that will lead to a high intensity in the light source, increasing the risk of glare. Be sure to aim and cut of the light so that it does not produce unnecessary glare.
Flexible track systems
For an easy installation use a track system. It will allow you to move the spotlights as you change positions of cars. This also opens the possibility to use a DALI control system that can give energy savings.
Entrance
The entrance should be pleasant and welcoming. From the outside the showroom needs to look natural and exciting. As an example use bollards for walkways and recessed or integrated light to shape the structure of the building. As you enter the showroom try to avoid glare as much as you can. If needed use accessories that help to cut of the direct sight of the light source. Honeycomb louver or cap cones are two great accessories to achieve a pleasant non-glaring light, consider also using barn doors for this effect. To get a good understanding of the setup, use different light in the different areas of the showroom. The height of the installation in these showrooms can be a challenge. Use luminaires between 1100 and 3000 lumen up to 3500 mm. Above this height use luminaire with a higher light output.
Sales hall
The sales are can be divided into areas with different purposes, depending of the brand offer; the primary displayed area, where the latest cars and campaigns are displayed and the secondary displayed area, the area where more cars are displayed such as older cars or second hand cars. In the primary displayed area use more spotlights together with general light to create an interesting and dynamic environment. In the secondary displayed area there is not the same need for exclusive luminaires but just as important to use luminaires that give sufficient light.
In general it is important with sufficient lighting but do not only use general light, it can seem flat and give low contrast on the car. On the other hand it can be difficult to just illuminate with spotlights as the displayed items tend to move around and the direct intense light reflects in the cars and can cause glare. But this problem can be solved using spotlight accessories that reduces glare. A mix of spotlights and luminaires with larger bright surfaces are to recommend. With bright surfaces we create a light that is gentler and soothes the shapes of the cars. This can be achieved with continuous row lighting where the reflected light from the luminaire help to define the shape of the cars. To highlight beamers and logos it is possible to use spotlights. Again take notice of the height and consider what amount of light the luminaire needs to have in order to give enough light.
Cash desk and office space
Due to the nature of car sales the cash desk tend to look a bit different than normal shops. To create a pleasant place where you sign the contract and buy your car, you can imitate the light as if it were in a home or another comfortable environment. Try combining many different types of light experiences. From a high performing downlight to a nice looking pendant. Elaborate with light intensity and notice that a lower general light level with strong contrasts can create a more enjoyable experience.
