Freshly stocked with technical expertise
German car manufacturer BMW is upgrading its resources. The company is building a new Talent Campus at its Munich headquarters to equip its staff for e-mobility and automation. With wood as the main construction material, the design is by local architecture firm allmannwappner.
Automobility is currently undergoing a process of fundamental change, breaking away from parameters that were predominant in the 20th century. Where fossil drive technology once led the way, alternative fuels and electric motors are now increasing their market share, while driver-controlled vehicles are being supplemented with automated systems. And whereas it used to be entirely normal for everybody to have their own car, this tradition is being increasingly challenged by the sharing economy. The manufacturer Bayerische Motoren Werke, commonly known by its acronym BMW, is in the process of modifying its production to “make the company fit for the future”. Consequently, its employees need to gain the relevant expertise to follow through with this strategic development. The know-how will be obtained in the BMW Talent Campus that is being built at the company’s head office in Munich.
Where a multi-storey car park was previously situated on Munich’s Riesenfeldstraße, a new building is being constructed with a climate-friendly timber design. Alongside the existing buildings, an open campus will train the staff of roughly 40,000 people employed by the BMW Group.
Where production and neighbourhood come together
The new building is also a sign of the company’s willingness to make its mark on an architectural level. Instead of an institution developed purely for education and training, this will be a prestigious construction that intends to create an identity and offer a high-quality environment. Besides ultra-modern seminar rooms and workshops, the centre will also contain a staff restaurant and a café that will be open to the public. The newly designed green space will also be available to all.
Its use by the general public allows the building to open up to the surrounding urban space and create interaction with its environment.
allmannwappner, architects
The new BMW Talent Campus is designed as a place that conveys openness rather than seclusion and solitude. “Its use by the general public allows the building to open up to the surrounding urban space and create interaction with its environment,” explains allmannwappner, which is the architecture firm that won the competition to design the project. “This provides a place where production and the neighbourhood come together.”
Inspired by a high-bay warehouse
Its structural timber design is oriented on commercial construction, specifically on a high-bay warehouse. Industrial racking systems are joined together to form a large unit, frequently playing a structural role as well. While these systems are usually made of steel, in the Talent Campus the frame consists of glulam beams.
Natural materials were central here, as was the potential for recycling enabled by separability.
allmannwappner, architects
Flexible usage, long lifecycle
The decks of the individual storeys enable various kinds of use that go far beyond those of a training centre. This flexible planning and the multifunctional facade lengthen the building’s lifespan significantly.
Wood is the primary construction material, and as such it is not just used inside the building, but is also visible on the exterior. The steel construction on the outside of the building serves on the one hand to protect the wood, and on the other to create a versatile space that provides room for terraces and generates a new opportunity for people to interact on the walkways.
Fighting the skills shortage
The BMW Works Council has also given its backing to the new Talent Campus: “Given the lack of skilled workers, investments in training and education are key for the future viability of our company,” emphasizes Martin Kimmich, Chairman of the General Works Council of BMW AG.
In earlier times, high training costs were often an argument for companies to outsource entire departments. But nowadays – in the global fight for talented employees – it is clear what resource needs to be cultivated and maintained: a motivated workforce with cutting-edge expertise and knowledge. And so there is no doubt that BMW’s new high bays will be stocked for this specific purpose.
Text: Gertraud Gerst
Translation: Rosemary Bridger-Lippe
Visualizations: BMW Group AG