Home of X
Designing a monument to represent the future of X in the USA
Spartanburg: When Production Becomes Legacy testing
At the intersection of scale, precision and identity, BMW Group Plant Spartanburg is not only BMW’s first full manufacturing facility outside of Germany and its largest manufacturing plant worldwide – it’s BMW’s Home of X: the global hub of BMW X models and a cornerstone of the brand’s real development footprint in the United States.
Designed for the US, in the US, the X portfolio makes the Spartanburg plant home for BMW’s most American story. Located in South Carolina, Spartanburg employs over 11,000 people and produces more than 1,500 vehicles daily, blending innovative engineering and premium quality. Anchored in jobs, manufacturing and future product generations, Spartanburg represents the past, present and future of BMW’s commitment to the US and the legacy of the X portfolio.
The world premiere of the next-generation BMW X5 G65, unveiled for the first time at Spartanburg as a defining glimpse into the future of X, was a moment meant to be immortalized. Seen through the lens of the US market, the real challenge was to connect product, brand, and experience in a way that could make Spartanburg’s almost intangible impact visible and lasting – capturing not only its role in American manufacturing, but also its influence on everyone who has driven, or will drive, a BMW X model.
Translating Impact into Physical Form
The ambition behind our partnership with Spartanburg was to create a timeless and iconic monument and interior Zentrum experience that would honor the heritage of the X portfolio and BMW’s commitment to the US. So, that from a visitor’s perspective, they immediately understand and feel that Spartanburg is the “Home of X.”
The project was built around three intertwined narratives – people, territory and technology – that honor the community and workforce in Spartanburg, root the “Home of X” story in the American landscape and spotlight the advanced engineering and manufacturing behind the X models. Together, they turn the monument and Zentrum into a living brand story that links BMW’s human impact, its US footprint and its innovation into one cohesive experience.
A Monument Designed to Be Lived In, Not Just Looked At
he Home of X monument bridges past, present and future, with elements grounded in BMW’s history while expressing the evolving identity of the X family. Its base outlines the map of the United States, with a focused emphasis on South Carolina, anchoring the structure in the story of Spartanburg and honoring the community that shaped it.
Designed as more than a static object, the monument invites interaction in a natural and intuitive way. Visitors can sit, rest, walk through and gather around it, transforming the structure into a shared, everyday space. At the same time, its upward, skyward gesture and integrated lighting create a clear sense of direction, positioning the monument as a beacon for the future of the X family and of BMW in the United States.
The structure’s twisted, banded geometry and precisely controlled surfaces draw from BMW’s contemporary design language while remaining intentionally abstract. Rather than referencing a single model, the form captures a broader design ethos, ensuring the structure remains timeless and open to interpretation.
Translating Automotive Design Skills into a Static Object
The Home of X monument translates BMW’s narrative into a pure, architectural X rather than relying on a physical vehicle. Instead, the team focused on distilling BMW’s character and sensibility into a minimal, sculptural gesture that feels timeless. The X becomes the core symbol – rising from a US-shaped base, twisting and opening to create places to sit, gather and take in the surroundings – so that people can physically inhabit the brand story rather than just look at it.
Designed by the same automotive designers behind BMW’s first-ever X model, and deeply fluent in BMW’s design language, the monument distills complex ideas about technology, territory and community into a simple but expressive form that feels distinctly BMW without ever needing to show a vehicle.
“Designing this monument as an automotive designer meant translating a motion-driven visual language into something permanently still. While seemingly counterintuitive, we had to create a sculpture that felt dynamic and future‑oriented, yet stable enough to become a gathering place for people – where the final form isn’t just expressive, it actually becomes part of their everyday lives.”
Where the X Story Unfolds Indoors
Inside the Zentrum, the story of Home of X continues through three immersive zones that mirror the monument’s core narratives of territory, technology and people.
Territory
In the territory area, a series of canvases pairs milestone BMW vehicles from the Spartanburg plant with evocative American landscapes, so visitors effectively “travel through the US” as they walk the space, with each scene capturing a key chapter in the plant’s history.
Technology
The technology zone opens a window into the factory itself: a full-size powertrain and chassis are set in front of backlit canvases that feel like an x-ray into the assembly line, with additional content explaining the different powertrains produced in Spartanburg.
People
Finally, the people narrative focuses on community and emotion, using a dual storyline that follows the “birth” of a car from the line alongside a child gradually falling in love with BMW – first seeing, then experiencing, and eventually driving the car – so visitors feel how BMW becomes part of real lives over time.
A Beacon for the Future of BMW X
The Home of X project honors the heritage of a portfolio made for America, in America, while looking confidently to the next generation of X vehicles, including the new BMW X5 G65, as well as the innovations still to come. In doing so, the monument and Zentrum Museum become more than a symbol; it is a tangible reminder that real development for the US and for the world is happening here, and that BMW’s story in Spartanburg is still being written.
“This is a cool full-circle moment – from designing the first-ever BMW X model to cars coming out of Spartanburg that we directly worked on – to a monument that represents all of that and becomes an icon for everyone behind the scenes who makes the product come to life. It became a very real, tangible way to show our relation and connection to the market beyond product development.”