Auto dealerships are an emerging market for Tilt-Up construction as evidenced by this 79,231-square-foot Mercedes Benz dealership. Tilt-Up was chosen for its ability to be constructed on site, withstand hurricane wind loads and support a parking structure on the roof. The current trend in auto dealerships is expansive windows and Tilt-Up provides an anchor for large windows without detracting attention from the glass.

Judges commented on this project’s ability to draw the eye to the windows and the superior design.

Located only one mile from the national headquarters of Mercedes Benz, this dealership is clearly the nation’s flagship location and therefore needed to be architecturally appealing. The building was designed to focus primarily on the large glass entrance and its curved composite wall. To reinforce this entrance, two large Tilt-Up masses are located on each side with large punched openings and metal canopies.

The main challenge for this project was the marriage of three different structural systems – concrete block, precast roof members and Tilt-Up panels. Intricate planning was critical in order to form the panels that were used for the separation walls in the mechanical rooms. Further, the concrete slabs for the service bays were constantly interrupted by space reserved for hydraulic lifts. A massive concrete ramp was constructed to lead to the rooftop parking lot.

As a testament to its architectural appeal, this project was also awarded the City Beautification Award by the City of Ft. Lauderdale.