BMW Welt (English – BMW World) is a multi-use exhibition center used for meetings and promotional events of BMW vehicles. BMW Welt operations are coordinated with the other local BMW facilities, the BMW Museum and BMW Headquarters. In 2001 an international architectural design competition was sponsored by BMW AG for the construction of the BMW World. Twenty-seven offices participated in the competition and the contract was awarded to the Vienna-based architects COOP HIMMELB(L)AU and the facility was constructed from August 2003 through summer 2007 at a cost of US$200 million.
BMW Museum is an automobile museum of BMW history and was established in 1973. Known as the salad bowl or white cauldron, the silver futuristic building was designed by the architect of the BMW Headquarters, the Viennese professor Karl Schwanzer.
BMW Headquarters (German: BMW-Vierzylinder "BMW four-cylinder"; also BMW Tower) was built between 1968 and 1972. The main tower consists of four vertical cylinders standing next to and across from each other. Each cylinder is divided horizontally in its center by a mold in the facade.