BMW’s Waterfall Pavilion Shows Off Efficient Vehicles in London’s Olympic Park

The <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/london-olympics/">games</a> may be over, but there's still a ton of great green design flowing out of the Olympics, including the <a href="http://www.bmwblog.com/2012/07/19/bmw-unveils-london-2012-olympic-park-pavilion/" target="_blank">BMW Group Pavilion</a>. Located on the Waterworks River in the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/londons-2012-olympic-park-opens-to-the-public-this-week-after-years-of-preparation/" target="_blank">Olympic Park</a>, the temporary pavilion showcases BMW's fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles. The pavilion was designed by <a href="http://www.serie.co.uk/html" target="_blank">Serie Architects</a> and it features a cascading waterfall that works to filter river water and keep the space cool through evaporation. When the pop up showroom is no longer needed, elements of the pavilion will be distributed throughout the city to serve as new shade pavilions.

Serie Architects took inspiration from the Victorian bandstand to create the temporary showroom for BMW during the Olympics.

Set on the Waterworks River, the two story space features a glass clad plinth that hovers just above the water on pillars.

On top is the open air showroom that features a collection of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/london-2012-olympic-games-serviced-by-green-vehicle-fleet/" target="_blank">BMW cars</a> including the BMW E-Scooter, the BMW i Pedelec concept, the new MINI Rocketman Concept, the BMW i3 Concept, the BMW i8 Concept and the new generation BMW 3 Series Touring.

The geometry of the pavilion roofs reflects a similar aesthetic to the geometry of the company's fuel efficient and light-weight vehicles

Below the outdoor showroom is a reflecting pool with water sourced from the river below.

A series of pumps, strainers, filters and sterilizers (without chemicals) cleans the river water before it enters the pool and spills over the edge of the building in a cascading and animated waterfall.

The waterfall is not only beautiful, but also keeps the building cool through evaporation and minimizes the need for climate control.

<a href="https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/pressclub/p/me/pressDetail.html;jsessionid=JH5nQqvQ6YcLFWrW6LjkVbVnpcdXKG0FK9yN72xkwKVBkLLZBL3L!-912684423?title=bmw-group-unveils-london-2012-olympic-park-pavilion&amp;outputChannelId=31&amp;id=T0128699EN&amp;left_menu_item=node__2202" target="_blank">BMW</a> and the <a href="http://www.serie.co.uk/html" target="_blank">Serie Architects</a> also wanted to reduce the carbon footprint of the pavilion's materials so they selected a high recycled content steel along with other sustainable materials.

After the showroom is no longer needed, the nine pavilion roofs will be taken from the building and donated to areas around the city for use as shade structures.

Model of the BMW Group Pavilion.

Rendering of the BMW Group Pavilion.

Rendering of the BMW Group Pavilion.