The last link in a ‘chain’ of buildings, the showroom references adjacent structures, onsite processes and the BMW car through its dynamic shape – forming naturally from the surface of the car park, extending its surfaces through two building parts which ‘rotate’ one around the other to contain showroom and other functions.
The BMW showroom, which also serves as delivery unit of company cars and contains both garage and training academy, constitutes the last link in a chain of buildings created for the BMW plant at Leipzig.
The showroom occupies the main approach to the Zaha Hadid Architects designed Central Building, referencing adjacent structures, onsite processes and the BMW car through its dynamic shape.
The building emerges naturally from trajectories established by the Central Building, forming from the surface of the car park, extending its surfaces to form two distinct building parts, pointed outwards in opposition yet seemingly rotating one around the other.
With one building element the main showroom or exhibition hall is accommodated; an exposed concrete wall containing curved and rhombic passages houses workshop and academy. While the showroom façade presents as a light and open feature, through the use of ‘strip windows’, the workshop is finished in contrast – stonewalled and bitumen-grey, signifying its status as a place of concentrated endeavor.
Zaha Hadid Architects
Zaha Hadid with Patrik Schumacher
Matthias Frei
Cornelius Schlotthauer
Caroline Andersen, Manuela Gatto, Jim Heverin, Jan
Huebener, Markus Planteu, Lars Teichmann
WPW Ingenieure GmbH, Saarbrücken, Germany
WPW Ingenieure GmbH, Saarbrücken, Germany
Gross.Max, Edinburgh, UK
