The Santa Monica Car Showroom design by Fajer AlQattan, John Torpy, and Victor Nunez explores the idea of a showroom not only having a retail sales function, but also making it an educational tool for new Hydrogen Fuel Cell (HFC) cars. Its design is influenced, appropriately, by modern concept cars and automobile design to ensure a sleek and aerodynamic product.
Because of its location on the waterfront, the structure is able to take advantage of the breeze by having exterior pleats in the surface. These pleats are a subtle design that actually reduces the amount of energy consumed by filtering the breeze into public areas of the building while leaving the private spaces mechanically ventilated. Its design is an open one to ensure maximum exposure to the public. “Circuits” mixing pedestrian and vehicular traffic from the HFC cars wrap around the entire building and form a conceptual basis for the building’s form.
Anastasia Andreieva is an accomplished Architectural Projects Editor at Arch2O, bringing a unique blend of linguistic expertise and design enthusiasm to the team. Born and raised in Ukraine, she holds a Master’s degree in Languages from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Her deep passion for architecture and visual storytelling led her to transition from translation and editorial roles into the world of design media. With a keen eye for conceptual clarity and narrative structure, Anastasia curates and presents global architectural projects with precision and flair. She is particularly drawn to parametric and digital design, cultural context, and emerging voices in architecture. When I’m not analyzing the latest architectural trends, you’ll probably find me searching for hidden gems in cityscapes or appreciating the beauty of well-crafted spaces. After all, great design—like great connections—can be found in the most unexpected places. Speaking of connections, because architecture isn’t the only thing that brings people together.