CYCA major sponsor Audi Australia Pty Ltd (Audi) has this week announced its plan to build a $50 million dollar brand ‘lighthouse development’ in Sydney, on South Dowling Street.
Clearly reflecting the successful growth of the brand in the past three years, the very high profile new ‘Audi lighthouse’ facility is situated on a 3,655 square metre site at Victoria Park, with 100 metres of absolute street frontage directly along South Dowling Street at Rosebery.
Due to open in early 2009, the development is one of the most significant overseas investments made to-date by Audi’s Ingolstadt-based parent company, AUDI AG.
The eight-level, 12,000+ square metre facility, developed by AUDI AG and designed by Audi’s master architect Johnson Pilton Walker, incorporates a flagship retail showroom and customer facilities, after-sales centre and commercial space which will become Audi’s national HQ. It will also be used as a brand forum for events and new product launches.
Audi Australia’s managing director, Joerg Hofmann, says that the AUDI AG Supervisory Board’s approval for this concept is a direct result of the brand’s strong growth in the past three years including an increase of 30% in 2005, 20% in 2006 and another projected 20% in 2007.
“This flagship facility is representative of the brand’s outstanding
achievements. It is a clear message of support from our headquarters for our year-on-year record growth and will raise awareness of the Audi brand to a completely new level. Significantly, it also demonstrates AUDI AG’s long term commitment to Australia, which has been identified as a key strategic growth market,” Mr Hofmann said.
The prominent flagship development features 100 metres of street frontage on South Dowling Street, and stands some 26 metres high and 25 metres deep. It is just 10 minutes from the CBD, enroute to the airport and will effectively act as a ‘brand beacon’ for the 125,000 vehicles per day and approx 45
million vehicles per year which travel on one of the busiest arterial roads in Australia.
The Audi retail and after-sales facility will trade as ‘Audi Centre Sydney” and will be operated by a newly-established separate business entity, owned by Audi Australia.
Combined with the significant facility developments being made around Australia by the Audi dealer network, including the construction of the first “Audi Terminal” in the world at Five Dock, at an investment of $11 million, the newly-opened $11 million Audi Penfold development in Burwood, Victoria, and the imminent $7 million Audi Centre Canberra facility, this new Audi Australia development clearly strengthens the Audi brand message for
the future.
Audi completed the purchase of the Rosebery site in late October 2007 for $19.6 million from vendors Babcock & Brown and Payce Consolidated.
Audi Australia is the CYCA Youth Sailing Academy’s major sponsor as well as the naming rights sponsor of the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race and Audi Winter Series.
