Honda Showroom & Service Center

This building is Honda’s largest, state-of-art, 3S (showroom, service, spare parts) facility in Oman. It is the only 3S facility in the Al Hail/Seeb area.

One of the main challenges that this project faced was obtaining the authorities’ approvals for the service center. Since the project is facing Sultan Qaboos Road, there were initial concerns that it would be a typical and unpleasant looking auto repair workshop. However, with Earc’s persistence and the client’s cooperation, we convinced the authorities that this was going to be a state of the art facility, internally and externally.

The other challenge for this project was the building’s exposure to the western sun. A large glazing panel with special thermal treatment was used to reduce the impact of the harsh afternoon sun while allowing us to design with large windows indicative of a world-class showroom.

Honda is known for precision and customer experience, and the layout of the building was designed with this in mind. Customers drive into the air-conditioned receiving bay to drop the vehicle for maintenance. While their car is being treated, the customer can enjoy a beverage and a snack from a coffee bar in the customer lounge. There is a large window from which the customer can watch the mechanics working on their car.

Overall, the project consisted of a large and column-free showroom, drive-in service facility, air-conditioned workshop with a customer viewing lounge, as well as an automatic and manual car wash with vacuuming. It also required ample car parking for showroom customers separate from the shaded parking for serviced cars. Solar panels were installed on the roof generating substantial power for the building’s daily use.

The construction period was only 12 months, which is exceptionally fast for such a complex project. It is a prime example of Earc’s innovation and creativity at work to create an aesthetically attractive and a highly functional facility.

Location: Seeb , Muscat, Oman
Client: Omasco/ Al Futtaim
BUA: 6000 Sqm
Construction Completion: 2019
Scope: Lead Consultant: Architecture, Engineering, AOR, PMC, Interiors