On statics and technology.

4.000 tons of steel were employed in the construction of the BMW Welt. About a quarter of this was used for the Double Cone alone. It is 28 metres high and has a perimeter of 48 metres with the waist break being at 14 metres which is exactly in the middle. Each steel section was produced using an individual template and was only allowed to deviate from the specifications by 2 millimetres. Important data cables are fed through these sections.

The Double Cone ends with the “Ringbeam“, a ring that distributes the load of the roof evenly and diverts it into the ground through the facades. From the point of view of statics the roof and the Double Cone are really one piece. However, the Double Cone is simultaneously an important supporting point for the 16,000 m² roof structure.

In order to make the roof seem like a floating cloud, a very small number of visible columns is essential. There are merely eleven columns to carry this roof which could span St. Mark’s Square in Venice.