Yesterday I finally got to visit the BMW Welt – Situated next to the BMW Production Plant, Headquarters and Museum the Welt is the Showcase for all things BMW. (Welt is the German word for World.)
However the Welt is more than that, is is also the winner of the Production Category in the World Architecture Festival Awards 2008. (The same awards that Patterson Associates were in – just a different category.)
The story of the Welt Design Competition I think is fantastic:
275 architecture firms submitted tenders for the BMW Welt, and the jury’s decision was unanimous. The winning design was by Professor Wolf D. Prix and the Viennese architecture firm Coop Himmelb(l)au.
As a student, Professor Prix attended lectures by Professor Karl Schwanzer, the architect of the BMW headquarters – the so-called 4-Cylinder Building – and the BMW Museum. On one occasion, Professor Schwanzer’s lecture was interrupted as there was a call for him. When he came back he said to his students: “Today is like Christmas for me – I have won the BMW Tower!†Exactly 30 years later, Professor Prix was giving a lecture in Vienna himself. This lecture was also interrupted: “You have won the BMW Welt competition!”
The museum was absolutely incredible and well worth a visit – even if you are not into cars!
Check out the Satellite View in Google Maps to see what BMW paint on the roof of their circular museum – though I warn you it isn’t too surpising!
Note: I apologise for the photo quality as I only had my phone with me! For better images and also design sketches and plans check out the BMW Welt Website.