Abstract shapes float ghostly grey in your peripheral vision, as a timeline of motorcycle specters march dutifully across the floor line. The illusion of movement is created with ceaselessly projected shadow imagery across the glowing white walls. While the old concrete building had a graceful curved interior, the new space is rigidly rectilinear, using acrylic panel walls, illuminated from within. I was not allowed to photograph the many cars 'under wraps' inside the circular halls, but they all looked enormous and clad in polyester (the seamless 'skin', wrinkling at the door joints when passengers exit, is one design concept making the rounds in Munich).Īttached to the silver bowl is the new 'low building', designed by Uwe Bruckner, which also utilizes the concept of the 'road brought inside' (with black tarmac-ish walkways), but does away with the previous circular movement, in favor of a guided pathway through a series of seven concept-boxes on multiple levels. Strangely, the interior spiral is printed with an oversize quotation in English.
KAWASAKI LEOSTAR MODIFIED PLUS
The original museum remains in place (see pic from the new showroom above, and the interior below), fairly unchanged, althoug only temporary exhibitions are held there (or not - it was mostly empty), plus exclusive dealer/investor/client/new model unveiling events. I last visited the BMW factory in 1988 (how time flies.), and have pleasant memories of the display of their racing cars and motorcycles, wired in place on large black faux-blacktop display walls.
KAWASAKI LEOSTAR MODIFIED FULL
The concept for the old 'bowl' was an 'enclosed circular continuation of the road', on an upwardly spiraling ramp - an unaknowledged nod to Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim museum built in 1959 (although it came full circle when the Gugg hosted the 'Art of the Motorcycle' exhibit - somebody had been to Munich!). Located near the 1974 Olympic Pavillion (designed by Otto Frei), which looks remarkably fresh, this reconfigured public area of the BMW factory connects a new high-tech showroom via flying bridge to the new museum, attached like a futuristic carbuncle to the original 'bowl' museum, built in 1973 to a design by Viennese architect Karl Schwanzer (who also designed the 'four cylinder' BMW office tower nearby). I had the good fortune to visit the new BMW museum last October to see for myself this 'new experience' in museum design and display, which opened only last June (2008).