BMW Welt, Munich
Coop Himmelblau proposed this innovative design of Munichs BMW world, which was chosen to be built in December of 2001. Although an effort has been made to blend the building into its surroundings, Munich’s Olympic park, this building undoubtedly catches the eye of the beholder. A 16 000 square meter cloud shape building springs from a double cone. 4000 tons of steel were used to build this structure. Although the cone and the ‘cloud’ are one piece, the cone makes an important contribution to the carrying of the loads. It is furthermore connected to the ringbeam, which in turn carries loads from the roof to the façade. Outside and inside are united by the use of a glass façade.
The open nature of the glass façade brings an abundance of light into the building, which creates a unique interior experience. The cloud-imitating shape of the building adds a fluid and substantial feel to the building, which complements the crispness of the material choice. Within the building, this flow is conserved, resulting in a well-balanced space which is both open and comforting. Design and function is united, the skin of the building being designed in such a way to create a pleasant interior environment both concerning temperature as also air quality and of course light.
Temporary Pavilion [C]space in London
This temporary pavilion was created in honor of the 10th anniversary of the Architectural Association Design Research Lab in London. Alan Dempsey and Alvin Huang collaborated in this shell structure design. The resulting structure was only brought to life temporarily, being displayed on Bedford Square in London until July 2008.
The waffle structure was made of Fibre-C, giving the structure it’s name: [C]space. Fluid and open, the organic shape results both simple and welcoming to the eye. It’s openness unites the inside with the outside. This sensation is reinforced by the unity of the design, in which the skin is the structure, the floor, the walls and the furniture. It was designed bearing in mind criteria such as constructability and effective use of materials. An extra dimension is added to the architecture through the light installations which shine through the skin at night.
