Land Rover

It seems that everyone is driving sport-utility vehicles these days, but somehow, the Land Rover brand still manages to stand out. Now a Land Rover dealership in San Rafael, Calif. stands out as well. Inside and out, the Land Rover Marin dealership plays on the brand's rugged mystique. In place of the usual suburban test drive, Land Rover Marin offers an “adventure track” that simulates off-road driving conditions. Inside, a variety of outdoorsy sporting props and travel gear (provided by Propoganda, San Francisco) builds an atmosphere of woodsy romance, as do the lashed bamboo poles and the green-and-earth-toned color palette. A compass rose set into the floor tile implies that adventure is there for the purchasing as well. Of course, just in case driving the rugged vehicles is not enough to build the customers'image, they can also purchase accessories, clothing and travel goods at the dealership's “Adventure Centre” retail shop. Land Rover Marin brings the outdoors into the showroom, creating the fantasy potential buyers crave–even if the most rugged terrain they'll face is in Petaluma.

Architecture: Patri-Merkur Architects, San Francisco Design: Land Rover North America, Lanham, Md. Land Rover Marin, San Rafael, Calif.–Robin Bacci, owner Suppliers/Fabricators: Propaganda, San Francisco (props/decoratives); McClure Electrical Contractors, Santa Rosa, Calif. (lighting installation); Ro-Tile, Stockton, Calif. (compass rose floor tile); American Olean Tile, Lansdale, Pa. (flooring); Ideal Tile, Tracy, Calif. (tile installation)