automotive

BMW Opens Design Studio In U.S.

BMW Group subsidiary Designworks is opening a new studio in Santa Monica to be close to a mobility hub.

Called "Silicon Beach,” the area is a hotspot for trendsetting design, media, and technology in Southern California.  

With a mission to shape the future of mobility, Designworks’ new studio will draw inspiration from this environment in its work on behalf of the BMW Group, and with clients from numerous other industries ranging from mobility and transportation to consumer electronics, charging infrastructure and interior spaces, according to the automaker.

Over the past 50 years, Designworks’ capabilities and business have expanded from initially creating classic clay models for vehicle design to developing holistic mobility solutions that serve the whole ecosystem of urban spaces, according to the automaker. 

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The new studio, covering an area of about 16,500 square feet, is the largest of the three global Designworks studios including locations in Munich, Germany and Shanghai, China.

The new office will be geared toward virtual communication, says Holger Hampf, the head of Designworks.

“Personal interaction remains a focal point, but we do work differently in Santa Monica,” Hampf says in a release. 

The opening of the studio coincides with Frieze Los Angeles, the art show which the BMW Group has supported as a partner for several years, and which will run this year Feb. 16-19.

As a BMW Group subsidiary, Designworks is involved in many internal design projects within the company. The BMW M Hybrid V8 race car, which recently debuted at the 24 Hours of Daytona, originated from Designworks.

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