The new building designed by Koop Himmelb (l) ay will complement the ensemble of BMW-owned buildings, consisting of an automobile plant (which appeared here in 1928 and now produces cars of the 3rd series), an administrative building in the form of a four-cylinder engine, and a museum now being reconstructed. (both built in the 1970s).
“BMW World” could be attributed to a series of non-obviously functional buildings that European car manufacturers are now actively building. This group includes the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart, Volkswagen's Autocity in Wolfsburg and its glass factory in Dresden, as well as the Porsche Museum, now also under construction in Stuttgart. But it is distinguished from its “fellows” by a direct advertising function. If museums and factories designed for tourist excursions, in addition to popularizing a particular car brand, satisfy a completely innocent interest of the population in technology, then "BMW World" rises to almost religious heights of PR. Marketing director Michael Ganal even compared it to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, likening BMW dealerships around the world to parish churches.
Its huge steel roof appears to be supported by a double cone, oriented towards the nearby freeway (in fact, supported by 11 concrete supports). This cone, a swirling shape made of steel and glass, acts as a visual reference point for passing cars. The main volume of the building is completely glazed, which allows the interiors to be filled with sunlight. The inner space of the building resembles shots from science fiction films: intersecting bridges at different angles, ramps screwed into a spiral, an abundance of shiny metal surfaces. The emphasized "futuristic" architecture subtly hints at the innovativeness of the cars produced by the concern.
After all, the structure is almost 30 meters high and has a usable area of 25,000 sq. m is designed to make receiving the car as pleasant as possible for the buyer. For this, in the center of the "forum" - a kind of covered area - a special stage area with 20 rotating platforms has been set up, on which cars ordered by customers will go down to the owners. For the pleasure of participating in such a "consumer ritual" over the price of the car, you will have to pay 457 euros.
Along with this main "attraction", the "BMW World" contains a business center, cafes, shops, an auditorium, as well as an exhibition area representing the current range of cars and motorcycles produced at the concern's factories.
