ARCHIETECTURAL WONDERS OF 2008(BMW Plant, Leipzig)

BMW Plant, Leipzig, Germany
Zaha Hadid

As if on constant parade, cars in various stages of completion pass through the striking Central Building of BMW's Leipzig plant, gliding along tracks as they move between production areas, in full view of BMW employees and public visitors. Sections of the plant, from executive offices to production areas, radiate out from the Central Building in a star-like structure -- an architectural attempt to defy conventional notions of a hierarchical workplace by placing both administrative and factory sections in equal proximity to the central core.

Zaha Hadid designed the building, which opened this year, to allow for an overall sense of openness. The translucent walls of the Central Building seem to glow from within when lit at night, offering silhouettes of cars and the human activity inside.