Exploring Industry vs. Art Crossover
BMW Brilliance Innovatively Illustrates the Beauty of Industry

The BMW Brilliance (BBA) Industry vs. Art Crossover Experience was held at BBA Plant Tiexi in Shenyang today. The Crossover Experience explored how BBA has integrated state-of-the-art car manufacturing, innovative design and artistic elements to establish Plant Tiexi as the first Art Plant in China’s automotive industry. The press conference also revealed the winning entry and designer of the BMW Brilliance Plant Tiexi National AAAA Tourist Attraction Mascot Design Competition.

“BMW Brilliance Plant Tiexi not only sets the standard for advanced, intelligent and sustainable production but also stands out for its human-centered design, stunning architecture and eye-catching art pieces”, said Dr. Johann Wieland, President & CEO, BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. “As a responsible corporate citizen, BMW Brilliance is committed to making contributions that benefit all of Chinese society: from introducing leading-edge automotive manufacturing technologies to promoting and supporting the development of contemporary art and culture, like with this innovative ‘Industry vs. Art’ Crossover Experience.”

Crossover Projects Provide Opportunities for Talented Artists and Designers

As a longstanding supporter of talented artists and designers, BMW Brilliance promotes innovation and facilitates crossover design projects through concrete actions. Back in 2010, BMW Brilliance began a collaboration with the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts in Shenyang and the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich which initiated a Chinese-German Art Exchange Program. “Art Project 10+10” invited 20 young artists from the two academies to express their creativity on industry, nature and culture through sculptures and paintings. These artworks, now displayed in the main office building of Plant Tiexi, provide inspiration to BMW associates and visitors on a daily basis.

In November 2017, BMW Brilliance publically launched the National AAAA Tourist Attraction Mascot Design Competition to attract mascot design ideas for Plant Tiexi. With the design brief of “Industry vs. Art”, the competition attracted hundreds of designers from across China. After nearly two months of design development and refining, “Xiao Bao”, the winning design entry by He Zifei, was unveiled at the Industry vs. Art Crossover Experience. The mascot design was inspired by “Unit of Humans”, a metal “rén” sculpture from “Art Project 10+10”. The design of “Xiao Bao” is simple, friendly yet futuristic: it wears optical glasses to create a sense of intelligent technology and orange gloves that mirror the robotic arms in Plant Tiexi’s Body Shop; the design of its tail is inspired by iconic BMW “shark fin” design.

In addition, celebrated fashion designer Sara Yun presented an innovative new range of tailor-made crossover fashion designs that drew inspiration from future technology and the four function areas of Plant Tiexi.

Human-centered Design Inspires Creativity

BMW Brilliance Plant Tiexi is not just an ultra-modern automobile manufacturing plant but also a hot bed of art and design. Based on the concept “Space In Space”, the main office building of Plant Tiexi has an open-end design which creatively integrates production and office areas. All four independent technologies areas connect into the main building , which includes an aerial conveyor belt that transports colorful car bodies from the Paint Shop to Assembly. The striking feature intersects the office areas, allowing associates in the office and workshop to view the artworks that they have helped to create. In addition, the ground floor is equipped with a range of facilities such as an art gallery, fitness center, medical center and cafés, providing associates with a spacious, comfortable and people-orientated working environment.

By integrating production and office areas, Plant Tiexi has not only improved the efficiency of automobile production but also demonstrates the concept of “human-centered design” advocated by BMW Brilliance. It is a working environment that is designed to inspire and encourage every associate to enjoy work and maximize their potential.

Intelligent and Sustainable Production: A Role Model for Made in China 2025

A role model for “Made in China 2025” and Germany’s “Industry 4.0”, Plant Tiexi includes all four technology areas of a modern car factory: Press Shop, Body Shop, Paint Shop, and Assembly. Plant Tiexi is also equipped with a large-scale Logistics Center, Research & Development Center and Dynamic Testing Site.

Plant Tiexi has an advanced systematic layout and was designed to intelligently conserve energy and minimize its impact upon the environment. During the plant’s construction, the ‘energy source tunnel’, where electricity, water and heat are supplied centrally, was the first stage to be completed. In the event of future expansion of the plant, this strategy will ensure only minimal requirements for labor, materials and investment since there will be no additional need for tunnel excavation. The building, which consists of the production area and the office area, is managed by an intelligent management system which analyses over ten thousand 24-hour monitoring cameras. The system is capable of automatic analysis and adjustment of energy use to deliver truly green production.

Through the integration of intelligent industrial production and human-centered design, Plant Tiexi provides the perfect working environment to ensure that every BMW car created is “a piece of fluid artwork”. Visitors to the plant are offered a rare, up-close glimpse of cutting-edge automobile manufacturing processes and technologies at work. Moving forward, BMW Brilliance will explore further “Industry vs. Art” crossover collaborations and develop Plant Tiexi into a veritable “Art Plant” by hosting more cultural and art activities on-site.