CONCEPT
The new concept for the BMW Museum developed from the success and experience of the previous museum, whereby emphasis was placed on emphasizing the importance of the BMW Museum as a brand museum.
Planning began in spring 2002, followed by radical redevelopment work in 2004, culminating in the museum's reopening in 2008. Stuttgart architects and exhibition designers were commissioned by BMW Atelier Brückner and media designers ART + COM based in Berlin with work. The restoration of the building shell and other technical aspects were carried out by ASP Schweger Associates.
In view of the importance of the company as a global player and its wide range of products, the new design provided a considerable expansion of the museum. First, the old museum bowl was connected to the neighboring low-rise building to increase the exhibition space from a 1,000 square meter original to 5,000 square meters, which means that the new museum now has enough space for the presentation of approximately 120 exhibits.
The concept referred to an idea devised by the architect Prof. Karl Schwanzer, creator of the BMW Museum in 1973. He defined the internal structure of the round building as a continuation of the road in an enclosed space. In the adjacent low-rise building, the notion was further developed in a contemporary way with a modern reinterpretation of his vision of a "road in an enclosed space as the principle of dynamic architecture."
Analogously to the structure in the round building, where the platforms were placed as squares along the path, the display areas in the neighboring low-rise building are arranged along a ramp that forms the central path of the buildings. visitors. The bowl is reserved for temporary exhibitions, while the low-rise building provides space for a sprawling theme park, for which its interior was gutted and completely restructured.
Seven exhibition houses have been built in the low-rise building. Each of the houses has been given an individual "identity" developed based on the themes of the museum. This individual appearance creates context for the exhibits and provides a set of landmarks along the route through the museum, which is approximately 1,000 meters in length. The route of the tour has been designed without crossroads and takes the visitor to the 25 exhibition areas.
ARCHITECTURE
The architecture of the BMW Museum, and the layout of exhibitions and media form an ideal setting to present a rich tapestry of themes in a very special way. The BMW Museum takes new approaches by integrating contemporary architecture with historic buildings, in the same way that the brand always sets new and innovative benchmarks for engineering and design.
During construction between 2004 and 2008, the museum bowl was restored to its original 1973 state. A central visitor ramp in the bowl connected a system of seemingly floating platforms. The interpretation of the ramp as a road and the exhibition areas as squares were integrated into the neighboring low-rise building as part of the new museum concept by the architects and exhibition designers at Atelier Brückner.
The exterior facade of this rectangular building was preserved as a "historical shell", while the roof structures were removed and the interior was completely gutted. Contemporary architecture was integrated into the newer and newly created space consisting of a surrounding ramp and seven individual display areas. This glass and steel architecture deliberately contrasts with the bowl.
To the outside world, it appears as a massive, self-contained concrete sculpture and its interior is dominated by the character of an open space, while the architecture of the low-rise building is more urban in nature. The two sections of the building, the round and low constructions, are connected via a visitor ramp, which takes guests to the 25 exhibition areas.
HISTORY
BMW developed an awareness of its history during the first years of its existence. As early as 1922, its first products were displayed as souvenirs not for sale in a room at the Munich plant. This became the plant museum, which was updated with a new historical exhibition in 1966.
In the late 1960s, the BMW board decided to build a new administration center, for which the Viennese architect Prof. Karl Schwanzer won the international tender. BMW has you to thank for the forward-thinking BMW Tower ensemble, which features a freestanding museum building in the shape of a silver-gray bowl. The BMW set was officially opened on May 18, 1973.
The exhibition in the new building consisted of a fairly simple display of exhibits, which did not interfere with the museum's characteristic architecture. Over the years, the increasing number of visitors made the BMW Museum one of the most frequented company museums in Germany. It exhibited three permanent exhibitions during its first 30 years.
Expositions
The centerpiece of the BMW Museum is the 4,000 m2 permanent exhibition containing some 110 exhibits. It is joined by temporary exhibitions dedicated to specific topics and the burning questions of the day. These exhibitions create experiences, fuel fascination and use information to especially highlight the topic of personal mobility, explore aspects of the company's history in greater depth and showcase the Group's individual brands.
The BMW Museum also regularly organizes temporary exhibitions with special vehicles, design exhibitions and prototypes from the long and illustrious history of the BMW Group. A must see for all car enthusiasts.
Building + Parking - BMW Welt
Mon to Sat: 7.30 am – 12.00 pm - Sun: 9.00 am – 12.00 pm
BMW Museum
Seg a Dom: 9.00 – 6.00
Christmas / New Year closings
BMW Welt and Museum are closed from 12/24 to 12/26 and from 12/31 to 01/01
BMW Museum is open to the public.
Discount for Active Members of Official BMW Club (Valid Membership Card) through BMWCLAF.
