The BMW Headquarters (german: BMW-Vierzylinder, ), also known as the BMW Tower (German: ''BMW-Turm'' or ''BMW-Hochhaus''), is a high-rise building located in the Am Riesenfeld area of

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

, Germany. The building has served as the global corporate headquarters of German automaker BMW since 1973. It was declared a protected historic building in 1999, and it is often cited as one of the most notable examples of

modern architecture Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that for ...

in Munich. Extensive renovations commenced in 2004 and were completed in 2006.

Concept and construction

The Tower was built between 1968 and 1972, and it was ready in time for the

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...

. The inauguration followed on 18 May 1973. The building is located next to the

Olympiapark The Olympiapark (English: Olympic Park) in Munich, Germany, is an Olympic Park which was constructed for the 1972 Summer Olympics. Located in the Oberwiesenfeld neighborhood of Munich, the Park continues to serve as a venue for cultural, social, ...

and BMW's main factory. The Tower's exterior is supposed to mimic the shape of four cylinders in a

car engine An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal combust ...

, with the

Museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

building representing a

cylinder head In an internal combustion engine, the cylinder head (often abbreviated to simply "head") sits above the cylinders and forms the roof of the combustion chamber. In sidevalve engines, the head is a simple sheet of metal; whereas in more modern ...

. Both buildings were designed by the Austrian architect

Karl Schwanzer Karl Schwanzer (May 21, 1918 in Vienna – August 20, 1975, Vienna) was an Austrian architect. He was an important figure of post-war architecture. Life As early as high school, the architecture enthusiast Karl Schwanzer and his uncle (a carpen ...

. The Tower consists of four vertical cylinders standing next to and across from each other. Each cylinder is divided horizontally in its center by a mold in the facade. Notably, these cylinders do not stand on the ground; they are suspended on a central support tower. During construction, individual floors were assembled on the ground and then elevated. The Tower has a diameter of and has 22 occupied floors, two of which are basements and 18 of which serve as office space.

BMW campus

The

BMW Museum The BMW Museum is an automobile museum of BMW history located near the Olympiapark in Munich, Germany. The museum was established in 1973, shortly after the Summer Olympics opened. From 2004 to 2008, it was renovated in connection with the con ...

is located right next to the tower while

BMW Welt The BMW Welt is a combined exhibition, delivery, adventure museum, and event venue located in Munich's district Am Riesenfeld, next to the Olympic Park, in the immediate vicinity of the BMW Headquarters and factory. It was built from August 200 ...

, which showcases the current cars of BMW and acts as a distribution centre, opened on the opposite side of the road on 17 October 2007.

Popular culture

During the

, BMW branding was removed from the buildings to prevent product placement. BMW badging was also removed from the 2002 sedans, which accompanied

Olympic marathon The marathon at the Summer Olympics is the only road running event held at the multi-sport event. The men's marathon has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since 1896. Nearly ninety years later, the women's event was added to the prog ...

runners during the competition. The branding was removed again for the building's cameo appearance in the 1975 film '' Rollerball'', replaced by large orange circles, meant to stand for the fictional ruling Energy Corporation of the future. The building also made an appearance in the 1977 horror film '' Suspiria''.

References

External links

* http://www.7-forum.com/modelle/bmw_hochhaus.php {{BMW Office buildings completed in 1972 Buildings and structures in Munich Registered historic buildings and monuments in Bavaria Towers in Germany BMW Tourist attractions in Munich Skyscrapers in Munich Skyscraper office buildings in Germany

Concept and construction

BMW campus

Popular culture

See also

References

External links