BMW South Africa Head Office

BMW South Africa Head Office
© Studio 88 Photography

BMW South Africa Head Office 

Boogertman + Partners Architects

CONTRACTOR
Barrow Construction (Pty) Ltd

QUANTITY SURVEYORS
Bwr Quantity Surveyors

FIRE CONSULTANT
Chimera Fire Consultants

ACOUSTIC CONSULTANT
Linspace

CATEGORY
Office Buildings, Sustainability

PROJECT MANAGER
Metrum Project Management

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER
Quad Africa Consulting Engineers

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
African Environmental Design

MECHANICAL ENGINEER
Spoormaker And Partners

AREA
12513 M²

YEAR
2019

LEAD PROJECT ARCHITECT
Bob Van Bebber

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Fortem Consulting Engineers

LOCATION
Johannesburgo, South Africa

GRAPHICS STUDIO MANAGER
Avinesh Pather

PROGRAM / USE / BUILDING FUNCTION
Office Design

Architecturally distinctive, the original BMW South Africa Head Office has been rejuvenated to not only reflect BMW’s Neue Arbeitzwelten, ‘a new working environment’, but to also live up to the contemporary standards of energy efficiency and sustainability – all without losing the original spirit of design embodied in the building.

BMW South Africa Head Office
© Studio 88 Photography
BMW South Africa Head Office
© Studio 88 Photography

Light, lines, and simplicity define the outcome of the BMW (South Africa) Pty Ltd. Head Office refurbishment. Originally designed by Hans Hallen, this architecturally iconic building has been modernized to reflect BMW’s corporate identity and to embrace South African energy efficiency and sustainability principles to achieve a GREENSTAR 5 as-built rating.

Minimum intervention to the outer façade of this circular building ensured retaining its elegant, modern, dark brick appeal only seen from the adjacent highway.

BMW South Africa Head Office
© Studio 88 Photography
BMW South Africa Head Office
© Studio 88 Photography

In stark contrast, the inner façade was stripped and extended into the newly landscaped courtyard; increasing visual connections with said courtyard, efficiency of the circulation space, transmission of natural light via a fully glazed louvered façade, as well as increasing comfort levels in the interior spaces.

The transparency of this facade and the seamless indoor-outdoor flow were made possible by the dynamic use of solar tracking louvers. Optimization of the building envelope and the notion of transparency are further complimented by the design of an adaptive interior space, enabled by a number of carefully orchestrated interventions.

BMW South Africa Head Office
© Studio 88 Photography
BMW South Africa Head Office
© Studio 88 Photography

Ease of ingress and egress and principles of universal access was applied to facilitate movement through the building by people with physical impairment.

Meeting rooms and the service cores were relocated around the existing central reception, opening up the opportunity for pause areas on the office floor plates which align with contemporary space planning models.

BMW South Africa Head Office
© Studio 88 Photography
BMW South Africa Head Office
© Studio 88 Photography

In addition, a wall of water penetrates a portion of the glass façade, creating a spatial dialogue between the office floors and the multipurpose, communal space - flanked by the barista bar and staff restaurant.

With green principles being implemented in the building and its facade, it was imperative that thermal comfort and energy efficiency be addressed to achieve a holistic solution to the office environment.

BMW South Africa Head Office
© Studio 88 Photography
BMW South Africa Head Office
© Studio 88 Photography

As such, the building underwent a complete reinvention of its lighting and ventilation solutions which required a satellite Energy Centre, which accommodated the backup energy systems.

The other significant area of renovation required the removal of the old slate to be replaced by the contemporary aesthetic of Zinc sheeting. The slate was reused in feature walls in the landscaping to the South of the building.

The BMW (South Africa) Pty Ltd. Head Office is an example of BMW’s world-renowned brand image of design, passion, technology, innovation, and attention to the finest detail.

BMW South Africa Head Office
© Studio 88 Photography


BMW South Africa Head Office
Plan 3D - 1st floor
BMW South Africa Head Office
Plan 3D - 2nd floor
BMW South Africa Head Office
Plan 3D - Roof
BMW South Africa Head Office
Plan - Landscape
BMW South Africa Head Office
Plan - Site
BMW South Africa Head Office
Sketch phase 1 existing building