A firm of Yorkshire architects specialising in car retail showroom design has landed a contract to carry out a $20m (£12.6m) refurbishment of a New York landmark.

Leeds-based SDA Architects is due to start work this month on the redevelopment of the Packard Building in the heart of Manhattan – and close to the 9/11 Ground Zero – to accommodate authorised dealerships for Jaguar, Land Rover, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Mazda.

One of the most striking aspects of the 340,000 sq ft building – constructed in 1928 for the Packard Motor Company – will be a three-storey high atrium. The brief is to create a car shopping mall in which each dealership has a salon.

The company has carried a number of high profile projects for car manufacturers including Volks-wagen and Audi but admits the Packard Building job is its biggest ever – the average spend on a new UK dealership is £500,000. “This is far more than an updated showroom and service facility,” says SDA director Chris Pearson.