New York Times (May 2005): “The new Central Building at the BMW plant… a vast, boomerang-shaped industrial shed with rows of cars streaming by in midair on curving tracks… is a finely oiled machine… creating a fluid work environment in which management, engineers, autoworkers and cars seem intertwined, breaking down the hierarchies that have defined the traditional factory…

“Evoking the silent spacecraft of Stanley Kubrick’s “2001,” rows of car bodies stream by on computerized tracks. Because (ZHA’s design) routes every car through the central building on its way from the body shop to the paint shop or final assembly plant, you witness them in all their various stages. At certain points, the cars stop and revolve on enormous turntables before heading off in a new direction… The movements are hypnotic, suggesting a mechanical ballet.

“By channeling all of the work through the central building, Ms. Hadid creates a seamless environment, smoothing that process. The terraces create a kind of loose-knit social hierarchy, breaking down the staff into discrete tiers while allowing engineers to observe or consult with one another without having to pick up a phone. Engineers and workers are in constant contact, too, mingling in the corridors and the cafeteria.

“Yet the overarching agenda is to keep the eye focused on the machines, with everyone involved in a constant process of fine-tuning. From their office terraces, engineers can step out onto glass-enclosed viewing platforms to watch the huge, swiveling robotic arms that weld the car frames together.

“Here Ms. Hadid takes on this Modernist past directly and gives it a new twist. The free flow of information replaces the monotony of the assembly line; individual needs and tastes rule over bland repetition; and machines are at the service of man, not vice versa. It’s unclear where this vision will lead us, but for now, it’s pretty seductive.”