BMW hosts Red Dot Awards Exhibition in Shanghai

Nicholas Ott, senior manager for building design at BMW, talks about the inspiration for the exhibit. Photos Provided to China Daily

Design is naturally crucial to German luxury automaker BMW AG.

That is shown in not only its innovative products, but also through its ardent support for cross-industry activities and designers.

Its latest move in China, BMW's largest market, is the Red Dot Design Awards Exhibition.

Presented jointly with the awards committee from Germany, it opened the "Inspiration of Design" exhibit on December 4 in Shanghai.

Lasting to Dec 24, it will present about 20 design masterpieces that received the Red Dot Design Awards in the past three years .

Exhibits in two categories - product design and communication design - range from a BMW motorcycle helmet to a "chocolate" modular external battery pack, furniture, mobile apps and entire cars.

"It's a unique experience that we enjoy and are touched by.

"The awarded pieces are on display at the BMW Brand Experience Center in Shanghai, which is itself a Red Dot Awards winner and part of the exhibition," said Nicholas Ott, senior manager for building design at BMW.

Ott is also the designer of the experience center built next to the China Art Palace, the former China Pavilion for the Shanghai 2012 World Expo.

"The experience center is not only an exhibition hall to present BMW's products, but also a museum for people to experience design, art and the architecture itself," said Ott.

"The Red Dot - called the Oscar of the design industry - is more than an award. It provides a platform for designers from all industries around the world to communicate to form a design community," said Ott.

"That is also BMW's consideration in holding a design-themed forum to kick off the exhibition."

The forum allowing the free exchange of thoughts included designers at BMW, B&O, NITA design group and award-winning Chinese artists Jia Wei and Zhang Bohang.

"We at BMW believe that an impressive design can communicate with people across the ages. We treat design a pure work.

"When supporting design or art activities, BMW promises absolute freedom for artists or designers," said Ott.

"In China, we also hope that the cross-industry campaign may inspire more sense and enthusiasm for art and culture."

Design in vehicles

The exhibition also welcomed the BMW 4 Series, which just made its premiere in China at the experience center to better illustrate the brand's design language.

Balanced proportions, a low center of gravity and powerful engines enable the BMW 4 Series Coupe to raise the bar in aesthetics and dynamics, said the automaker. "BMW's designs for vehicles always bring a full-pulsed dynamic feeling that the car is about to fly," said Ott.He said BMW is a byword for authentic, forward-looking automotive design.

lifangfang@chinadaily.com.cn