Project summary

BMW is an internationally renowned car manufacturer based in Germany that prides itself on offering top quality products and services to discerning customers. As a leading innovator in the automotive industry, the company also has a commitment to environmental standards and what it calls “sustainable production”. After the Rio Summit in 1992, the company implemented strict environmental guidelines.  Since then BMW has been certified under the ISO 14001 environmental management accreditation scheme.

BMW’s new flagship store in downtown Toronto opened in the autumn of 2003, located on a highly visible site by the Don Valley Parkway (a major traffic artery) and the Don River. The mandate to the design team was to create nearly 4,000 m² of new showroom and retail facilities, including a “lifestyle boutique” for BMW owners and enthusiasts, with a further 6,000 m² of space devoted to a service centre. The building is spread across six floors and features the reuse of an existing steel structure, considerably adapted for its new purpose. As an example of how an existing steel frame can be considerably altered for a new use, the BMW Sales and Service Centre illustrates the adaptability of steel structures. This case study focuses on the design issues that arose from the decision to reuse the existing steel structure, and the resulting benefits.

This case study was prepared by Frank Roselli, Vera Straka and Mark Gorgolewski at the Department of Architectural Science, Ryerson University.The authors are grateful for the information and images provided by Quadrangle Architects Architect, and Banerjee & Associates Inc.