BMW Welt

Double cone and a roof of clouds - two architectural features that are seen as the trademark of the Coop Himmelb(l)au office. Since October 2007, these forms have also represented BMW when the Viennese architectural rebels built an Event and Delivery Centre - BMW Welt - for the automobile manufacturer. With its fantastic architecture and multitude of attractions, it has been a visitor magnet extraordinaire. Underneath the gigantic roof construction hides a complex topography with many other usages grouped around its central function of ceremonially handing over new vehicles to customers.

Delivery centre, exhibition, boulevard, event forum, restaurant and stage all rolled in one: a highly complex and multifunctional building such as the BMW Welt makes specific demands on the lighting concept. Beneath the roof of clouds, the bridge stretches across the building like a spine and serves to connect the different areas. Like the roof, its underside is provided with light slots for the installation of the lighting technology.

The concept of light slots in the hall ceiling solves a multitude of different lighting tasks in the huge interior of the BMW Welt: ambient and accent lighting, different object distances through offset levels, special effects such as coloured light or movable light cones. From the bridge, the ceiling area is illuminated by colour changing spotlights. The result: a lively, animated impression of the room. Stella spotlights for metal halide lamps are used as light sources for architectural lighting.

The different areas of use underneath the roof of clouds join to become an architectural landscape which includes the spacious, lively transit areas as well as peaceful islands for relaxation.

The technical design of the Stella spotlights by Franco Clivio integrates seamlessly into the detailed aesthetics of the building. Glare-free and precise, the position of the rotatable spotlights can be fixed to present the latest BMW models in just the right light.

In areas with normal ceiling heights such as the Technology and Design Studio, Parscan spots provide accentuating light. These spots have a particularly high light quality and ensure excellent visual comfort due to special glare protection measures.

Address:
Am Olympiapark 1
80809 Munich

Telephone:
+49 (0) 180 2 118822

www.bmw-welt.com

The BMW Welt is open daily from 9 am - 8 pm.

Start of construction: 1 August 2003
Start of shell: June 2004
Topping-out ceremony: 1 July 2005
Opening: 20 October 2007

Gross floor area: 75,000 m²
Gross cubic space: 531,500 m³

Architect: Coop Himmelb(l)au, Vienna
www.coop-himmelblau.at

Lighting design: ag Licht, Bonn
www.aglicht.de

Photos: Thomas Mayer, Neuss