Known as the salad bowl or white cauldron, the silver futuristic building was designed by the architect of the BMW Headquarters, the Viennese professor Karl Schwanzer. The roughly circular base is only 20 meters in diameter, the flat roof about 40 metres. The entrance is on the ground floor and consists of a cloakroom (in basement) and reception. First, the visitor ascends on a spiral upward in the building to visit the exhibits. Slideshows and smaller, in-depth exhibits are located on four "islands" inside the building. After "looping" the actual exhibition visitors reach the upper floor, where there are individual exhibits, a small cinema hall and several interactive exhibits that explain the technology further. An escalator leads visitors finally back into the ground floor. The museum architecture, and exhibition and media design form an ideal setting to present the rich tapestry of themes in a very special way. The BMW Museum takes new approaches by integrating contemporary architecture with the historic buildings in the same way as the brand is always setting new and innovative benchmarks for engineering and design. During construction operations carried out between 2004 and 2008, the museum bowl was restored to its original 1973 state. A central visitors’ ramp in the bowl connected a system of seemingly hovering platforms. The interpretation of the ramp as a road and the exhibition areas as squares became integrated into the neighbouring flat building in the new conception of the Museum by the architects and exhibition designers of Atelier Brückner: The exterior façade of this rectangular building was preserved as a “historical shell” whereas the ceiling structures were removed and the interior completely gutted. Contemporary architecture was integrated into the newly-created large total space consisting of a surrounding ramp and seven individual exhibition houses. This glass-and-steel architecture creates a conscious contrast to the bowl. This presents itself to the outside as a self-contained, massive concrete sculpture and its interior is dominated by the character of an open overall space whereas the architecture of the low building makes a more urban impression. Both building sections, the round and low constructions, are connected with each other via a visitors’ ramp, which leads the guests to all of the 25 exhibition areas.

Comments