BMW unveils 2012 Olympic Pavilion

BMW – one of the major sponsors of the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games – has unveiled its pavilion for the event.

Designed by British architecture firm Serie, the Pavilion makes use of various carbon reducing and recycled elements in its construction to symbolize BMW's sustainability drive. The Pavilion's upper platform will feature a range of BMW products, including the new i3 and i8 electric models, whilst the lower part will house an interactive display that allows visitors to view just how BMW is supporting both the Olympic games and Team GB.

"The design takes the idea of the pavilion in the park – the Victorian bandstand," said Serie co-founder and principal architect, Christopher Lee. "But instead of one pavilion we envision nine pavilions clustered together to form a family."

The 800 square meter, two-storey structure will be built on the Waterworks River section of the Olympic village in east London. Situated between the Olympic Stadium and Aquatics Center, the Pavilion will utilize the flowing river to cool the building. The elevated structure features a ‘water curtain' that skirts the platform and returns the filtered water to its source.

In addition to its presence in the village, BMW is also the official automotive partner to the London games, and will be providing around 4,000 vehicles for athletes and officials during the event.

Meanwhile a series of special edition models has been released in anticipation of the games, including the 1 and 3 Series ‘Performance Editions' and Mini 'London 2012'. Each comes complete with special graphics and mementos to symbolize BMW's involvement with the games.

By John O'Brien