The BMW Museum is an
automobile museum
An automotive museum is a museum that explores the history of automotive-related transportation.
* Bold – Automotive museums owned by automotive manufacturers
* ''Italics'' – no longer open to public access, excludes private or invitation on ...
of
BMW history located near 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, ...
in
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
, Germany. The museum was established in 1973, shortly after the
Summer Olympics
The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...
opened. From 2004 to 2008, it was renovated in connection with the construction of the
BMW Welt, directly opposite. The museum reopened on 21 June 2008. At the moment the exhibition space is 5,000 square metres for the presentation of about 120 exhibits.
Architecture and design
The "Time Horizon(s)" exhibition
The museum shows BMW's technical development throughout the company's history. It contains engines and turbines, aircraft, motorcycles, and vehicles in a plethora of possible variations. In addition to actual models there are futuristic-looking, even conceptual studies from the past 20 years.
The use of headphones and clever, often indirect lighting, lend the exhibition a largely peaceful atmosphere. The emphasis is on technical development and benefits of modernity. The building blends in with the exhibition concept.
Figures
The attendance figures are, after the
Deutsches Museum
The Deutsches Museum (''German Museum'', officially (English: ''German Museum of Masterpieces of Science and Technology'')) in Munich, Germany, is the world's largest museum of science and technology, with about 28,000 exhibited objects from ...
and the
Pinakothek der Moderne
The Pinakothek der Moderne (, '' Pinakothek of the Modern'') is a modern art museum, situated in central Munich's ''Kunstareal''. Locals sometimes refer to it as the ''Dritte'' ("third") ''Pinakothek'' after the Old and New. It is one of the wor ...
, the highest in Munich. About 250,000 people a year visit.
Architecture
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.
File:BMW Museum Old Wing Interior 200905.jpg, The old wing of the BMW Museum
File:Museo BMW, Múnich, Alemania 2012-04-28, DD 01.JPG, Exterior of the BMW Museum
File:BMWMuseum-pjt1.jpg, Interior of the BMW-Museum
File:BMW Museum Interior 1 200905.jpg, 1960s BMW automobiles in the BMW Museum
File:BMWMuseum-pjt3.jpg, BMW 328 in the BMW-Museum
The design reverses the spiral from top to bottom and the order of the "operation principle"
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...
built in
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
See also
*
Automobilwerk Eisenach
The Automobilwerk Eisenach (AWE) was an automobile manufacturer in Eisenach, Germany.
History
Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach
Heinrich Ehrhardt founded the Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach (FFE) in Eisenach on 3 December 1896 as a stock company. Init ...
*
History of BMW
The official founding date of the German motor vehicle manufacturer BMW is 7 March 1916, when an aircraft producer called ''Bayerische Flugzeugwerke'' (formerly '' Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik'') was established. This company was renamed to ''Bayer ...
*
BMW Group Classic
*
List of automobile museums
An automotive museum is a museum that explores the history of automotive-related transportation.
* Bold – Automotive museums owned by automotive manufacturers
* ''Italics'' – no longer open to public access, excludes private or invitation on ...
*
Rolls-Royce Museum
*
Mercedes-Benz Museum
The Mercedes-Benz Museum is an automobile museum in Stuttgart, Germany. It covers the history of the Mercedes-Benz brand and the brands associated with it. Stuttgart is home to the Mercedes-Benz brand and the international headquarters of the M ...
*
Porsche Museum, Stuttgart
External links
BMW Welt– official site
at BMW.com
on BMW TV
BMW Museumon SwipeLife
BMW Museumon Design Build Network
– includes a description of a visit to the museum
{{authority control
Buildings and structures completed in 1972
BMW
Tourist attractions in Munich
Museums in Munich
Automobile museums in Germany
Milbertshofen-Am Hart