Following a competition involving six architecture firms, Bmw selected the British firm Serie based on its cutting-edge design that will represent a significant architectural addition to the Olympic Park, whilst also reflecting the company’s deep commitment to sustainability.
Tim Abbott, Managing Director, Bmw Group Uk comments: “As a major investor, manufacturer and employer in the Uk, Bmw Group is deeply proud to be an official partner for Britain’s first Olympic & Paralympic Games since 1948 – this commitment to the Uk is also reflected in our choice of a home-grown architecture practice to design our pavilion and we’re delighted that Serie’s final design reflects our commitment to sustainable thinking in such an innovative and eye-catching manner. We believe it provides a truly worthy addition to the Olympic Park”.
BMW’s pavilion, which has a floor space of 800m2, will be built on an elevated site above the Waterworks River, situated between the Olympic Stadium and the Aquatics Centre. Serie’s innovative design will use river water to provide a sustainable source of cooling for the building before returning this filtered water to the river via an eye-catching ‘water curtain’ feature.
The lower floor exhibition area is dedicated to the London 2012 Games fleet and interactive displays for guests to learn more about the Bmw Group’s vision for the future of individual transport, its approach to sustainability and wider London 2012 partnership activities.
Water plays a central role in the Pavilion’s design. the Waterworks River provides the water, which is filtered and used to cool the building as it flows down the walls, before being returned to the river. the upper floor is surrounded by water, reflecting views of the Olympic Park and each of the rooftop pavilions has a distinctive, light roof and slender, straight columns, designed to complement other Olympic Park structures including the Velodrome.
Principal architect Christopher Lee comments: “As a British-based practice, we were delighted to be selected to work with Bmw Group for the Uk’s first Olympic and Paralympic Games since 1948. It’s not every day that one has the opportunity to work with a brand like Bmw on such a global stage and we are proud that the finished result will be seen by thousands of people during London 2012.”
In line with Bmw Group’s commitment to sustainability, the environment was a key consideration in the design of the company’s 800m2 Pavilion. As well as the filtering and recycling of the river water, steel with high recycled content provides the structural backbone and use of other carbon-intensive materials such as concrete has been minimised.