MUNICH, Germany – At the heart of the BMW FIZ, which stands for Forschung und Innovation Zentrum, or Research and Innovation Centre, is the Projekthaus, an ingenious structure of light and glass that's the embodiment of BMW's "Form follows Flow" Product Development Process.
For it's here, in the assembly of open-loft workspaces, arranged in a ring complex around a soaring, central atrium, that such disparate factions as Development, Engineering, Purchasing and Marketing come together without physical boundaries in an easy exchange of ideas.
At one time, most of BMW's various operations were scattered over 50 different locations, until the idea of a centralized "think tank" was conceived in the mid-seventies.
Established in 1986, the FIZ was revolutionary for its time - its honeycomb layout encouraging close communication between departments that traditionally operated as separate entities. It soon earned a reputation as one of the industry's most advanced centres. By 1999, the centre had outgrown its current configuration, and with the rise in BMW's production it became necessary to expand the operation. The expansion included a new wind tunnel, test rigs, workshops, a "Designhaus" and the Projekthaus - the nerve centre of the operation.
Security is strict for visitors to the FIZ, who must surrender their passports for the duration of their tour. Photography of any kind is strictly verboten. The complex is a rabbit's warren of interlocked buildings and alleys, parked in which were flatbed trucks carrying heavily camouflaged prototypes, as well as competitor's cars. These are quickly covered up, and we're forbidden to take a closer look.
We trail along behind our guide like school kids on a field trip – even if we'd left a trail of crumbs, I doubt we'd find our way out again.
In the acoustics lab, we're shown a cutaway 3-series cabin, mounted on a wall. Our guide cues a hidden stereo, and suddenly the sound of a Brahms concerto fills the air. We're invited to place our hands on the frame, to feel the vibrations and to demonstrate how the insulation absorbs the sound waves.
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| Photo: BMW |
For it's here, in the assembly of open-loft workspaces, arranged in a ring complex around a soaring, central atrium, that such disparate factions as Development, Engineering, Purchasing and Marketing come together without physical boundaries in an easy exchange of ideas.
At one time, most of BMW's various operations were scattered over 50 different locations, until the idea of a centralized "think tank" was conceived in the mid-seventies.
Established in 1986, the FIZ was revolutionary for its time - its honeycomb layout encouraging close communication between departments that traditionally operated as separate entities. It soon earned a reputation as one of the industry's most advanced centres. By 1999, the centre had outgrown its current configuration, and with the rise in BMW's production it became necessary to expand the operation. The expansion included a new wind tunnel, test rigs, workshops, a "Designhaus" and the Projekthaus - the nerve centre of the operation.
Security is strict for visitors to the FIZ, who must surrender their passports for the duration of their tour. Photography of any kind is strictly verboten. The complex is a rabbit's warren of interlocked buildings and alleys, parked in which were flatbed trucks carrying heavily camouflaged prototypes, as well as competitor's cars. These are quickly covered up, and we're forbidden to take a closer look.
We trail along behind our guide like school kids on a field trip – even if we'd left a trail of crumbs, I doubt we'd find our way out again.
In the acoustics lab, we're shown a cutaway 3-series cabin, mounted on a wall. Our guide cues a hidden stereo, and suddenly the sound of a Brahms concerto fills the air. We're invited to place our hands on the frame, to feel the vibrations and to demonstrate how the insulation absorbs the sound waves.
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| Photo: BMW |