[The BMW Museum pictured above during its opening.]

By YONG SHU HOONG

In a typical museum, you will find artworks and artefacts. At the BMW Museum in Germany, gleaming car engines are on proud display as if they were sculptures crafted by master artisans.

Enthusiasts can admire the sexy curves or sleek lines of shiny cars produced by the German manufacturer through the years - from the 3/15 PS vintage car (dated 1929) and stylish 507 roadster (1956), to the Z8 sports car featured in the 1999 James Bond film, The World Is Not Enough.

Located in Munich, Germany's third largest city after Berlin and Hamburg, the museum is distinguished by its futuristic circular building.

Austrian architect Karl Schwanzer was credited for the original museum, which opened in 1973 with an exhibition space of 1,000 sq m. He was also responsible for the iconic four-cylinder tower design of the BMW Headquarters next to it.

After extensive renovations from 2004 to 2008, the museum reopened with an exhibition area five times larger. It now has seven 'exhibition houses' with themes such as design, technology, brand and motor sport.

The museum's interiors are clean, almost clinical, with white walls doubling as projection surfaces for multimedia displays, and corridors and stairways where glass panels replace railings.

Click on thumbnails below to view more photos. Story continues after photos. (Photos: YONG SHU HOONG)

Do not miss the gallery of motorcycles, where the development of BMW motorcycles is traced through the exhibition of different models in glass compartments stacked to a height of about three storeys. The manner of display gives the illusion that the motorcycles are suspended in mid-air.

Accessible from the museum by a link bridge is BMW Welt (or BMW World, in English), which not only serves as a showroom and delivery centre for current models, but also houses exhibitions, eateries and shops.

Overlooking the nearby Olympic Stadium, it is worth visiting for its distinctive architecture, which includes a glass and steel double-cone structure, and a 'floating cloud' roof covered by 5,000 perforated metallic panels.

Aside from an architectural tour of BMW Welt, visitors can join a guided tour of the adjoining plant to find out how BMW cars are produced in accordance to customer requirements.

Getting there

Starting from March, Singapore Airlines flies direct to Munich five times a week. Other airlines such as Qatar Airways, Emirates, Thai and Lufthansa fly there with stopover en route. Return airfare starts from around $1,400 (taxes and fees included).

The BMW Museum (www.bmw-museum.com) at Am Olympiapark 2 is open from Tuesdays to Sundays, 10am to 6pm. Entrance fee is €12 (S$24), with concessions for children, students and senior citizens. Via public transport, take the underground (U-Bahn) line U3 to the Olympiazentrum station.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.

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