Norton Motorcycles has released some high-end dealer display units for its new range of bikes. The Indian-owned, Solihull-headquartered firm has launched a new “global retail concept” for its dealers. The up-market plinths, stands, lights and logos have been designed in partnership with no less than Lord Norman Foster, the superstar architect behind Stansted Airport and The Gherkin building in London.
Foster’s firm, Foster + Partners, has worked with Norton’s chief creative advisor, Professor Gerry McGovern, with “close collaboration” from Lord Foster himself, according to the company. Norton says the shop fittings are “a cost-efficient, long-life concept designed to support a highly appealing investment, delivering a truly best-in-class motorcycle retail experience,” adding that stores using the kit will “redefine motorcycle retail.”
It’s not clear how much the installations cost, though Norton says the component parts have been designed to last seven years, and the kit starts at a cost-efficient entry point, so should make sense over the long run. It’s also been developed with full design flexibility to suit the available space, layout and local requirements.
McGovern said: “Motorcycles at their best are emotional, sculptural objects of desire. In our experiential stores, they will be presented in environments that reflect their precision and modernity. Working in collaboration with Foster + Partners, we are placing in-store design and architecture at the heart of our resurgence, elevating our retail experience in a way that is clean, modern and compellingly desirable. The ambition is not merely to sell motorcycles, but to stage them, elevating their purchase from transaction to experience.”
Lord Foster added: “Norton’s history is rooted in design, engineering and craftsmanship. Our design concept seeks to be a contemporary expression of the company’s heritage and the timeless character of its motorcycles.”