Gabriele Allendorf – light identity

Since their founding in 1916, the headquarter of Bayerische Motorenwerke - BMW – is situated in the Bavarian state capital Munich. For its centennial anniversary, the original founding site was reclaimed at the corner of Frankfurter Ring / Lerchenauer Street, to create a special kind of institution: an exclusive restoration and service studio for BMW Classic Cars.

"I wanted to create a varied light scene, from the specific to the abstract," explains Gabriele Allendorf. Starting with an "arc of light" from solid-color LED light bulbs as welcome and farewell greetings at the main entrance, passing through an in-between-light effect from the gate to the halls, to a very special installation inside the BMW Classic Café.

"The light experience should just be like the spray that is generated behind a car when it is driving through the rain" says the designer. And further on: "the wind tunnel, in which BMW tests its cars, was my starting point: my goal was to communicate the dynamics inside, as the interplay of forces of movements, over the light".