BMW Werk Leipzig

Signage System

In May 2005, the new BMW plant in Leipzig be­gan pro­duc­tion. The heart of the plant is the cen­tral build­ing, de­signed by Lon­don ar­chi­tect Zaha Ha­did, around which the pro­duc­tion halls are loosely grouped. Not by chance has Zaha Ha­did’s build­ing won sev­eral awards: not only does it form the com­mu­nica­tive cen­tre of the plant, con­nect­ing all ar­eas by the short­est route and, through its trans­parency, pro­vide a space for ex­changes and meet­ings. Rather, the staff work­ing in the cen­tral build­ing are also di­rectly in­te­grated into the pro­duc­tion: high above their desks, the car bod­ies pass silently through the cen­tral build­ing on long con­veyor belts, from one stage of pro­duc­tion to the next.

BMW Werk Leipzig
Ori­en­ta­tion and Guid­ance Sys­tem
In­te­rior and ex­te­rior
Plants and plant grounds

Leipzig 2005

Client
BMW AG

Ar­chi­tec­ture
Zaha Ha­did Ar­chi­tects

Pro­duct­de­sign
Axel Ku­fus

Area
27,500 m2
208 ha to­tal area

Awards
Sign De­sign Award 2009
Photo Martin Klindworth
The long strips of alu­minium also travel around the cor­ner, thus in­cor­po­rat­ing the themes of move­ment and speed within the ori­en­ta­tion sys­tem.

Photo Mar­tin Klind­worth
Photo Martin Klindworth

Together with product designer Axel Kufus, Moniteurs took the idea of these long belts to develop an orientation system for the space. Up to six metres long, the labelled strips of aluminium build upon the dynamic of Zaha Hadid’s architectural language. The orientation system creates an artistic link between the central building, the exterior and the plant areas, where it is used in a simplified form up to the last corner. The design also extends to wall signs, newspaper stands, magnet and work boards. Together with the client, the various workspaces and buildings were labelled with intuitive terms, allowing the orientation system to be clearly structured. The result is an orientation system with its own presence and consistency that nevertheless fits harmoniously into the architecture.

Photo Roland Halbe
Photo Martin Klindworth