When meeting a new person most of us form a first impression within five seconds, an impression that could shape how we feel about someone for many years to come.
This is also largely true of how we react when we enter a building for the first time. Just as we automatically judge an individual’s trustworthiness, competence and likability in the time it takes to shake their hand, so too will we rapidly form an opinion of a location as soon as we step through the front door by analysing such factors as cleanliness, aesthetics and usability.
This leads many architects to create artistic, luxurious and stunning reception areas, however a visitor may have already formed their first impression before they even reach it! This is because the initial sight of the building’s interior may not be the creatively designed lobby, but instead it will have been an often overlooked part of the site – the car park.
To demonstrate how to create a car parking facility that provides a pleasant, welcoming environment for visitors to arrive in, we’ve outlined a few examples from recent Flowcrete projects.
Eye-Catching Car Parks
The Philharmonic Hall in Szczecin, Poland is a prime example of making a car park that reflects the location’s architecture. Influenced by the city’s steeply pitched roofs, neo-Gothic churches and the verticality of the city’s buildings, this bright-white, geometric facility starkly stands out along Szczecin’s skyline.
Underneath the award-winning building is a well-lit, two-level car park with 157 bays. The walls have been painted a bright orange to invigorate the space with a complementary light grey colour used for the Deckshield ID floor. The vibrancy of the interior combined with the open spaces and clearly visible markings in a minimalist white makes for an impressive car park that ties into the style of the hall’s exterior and interior design.
As with architectural works of art, high-profile retail locations also need to ensure that the car park represents the very highest standards of cleanliness, functionality and appearance. Westfield London for example achieved this with a contemporary grey Deckshield finish that mirrored the grey, elegantly patterned walls.
These considerations were even more essential for the Peninsula Shanghai hotel, which needed to refurbish its VIP car parking areas and it’s helipad for when they were expecting some very special visitors. Deckshield ID and Deckshield UV were used to create an eye-catching helipad surface that would be able to retain its appearance despite prolonged exposure to the elements and impacts from helicopters.
To find out more about creating a car park floor that works with the interior design, architectural style and the needs of the site contact your local Flowcrete representative. You can also download a whitepaper from Flowcrete Australia on car park flooring by clicking here.
