PressClub Global · Article.
Nothing has to stay the way it is. A portrait of Christopher Weil.
Tue Mar 01 16:34:00 CET 2016 Press Release
Since 2013 Christopher Weil has been Head of Exterior Design at MINI. That means he’s the man responsible for the overall exterior design of current and future MINI production models and concept cars. He has set himself the task of encouraging his team to give free rein to their creativity and to rethink the MINI brand.
Press Contact.
Susanne Herrmann
BMW Group
Tel: +49-89-382-24716
send an e-mail
This article in other PressClubs
Since 2013 Christopher Weil has been Head of Exterior Design at
MINI. That means he’s the man responsible for the overall exterior
design of current and future MINI production models and concept cars.
He has set himself the task of encouraging his team to give free rein
to their creativity and to rethink the MINI brand.
A career’s commitment to design.
Christopher
Weil is a firm believer in good car design as something we can feel as
well as see. Design conveys emotions, after all – and shaping emotions
is precisely what Weil sets out to achieve. After passing his Abitur
high-school exams he studied Transportation Design at Pforzheim
University, one of the world’s leading design faculties. This proved
to be a defining period for Weil, one which helped him develop his own
artistic personality while keeping in mind the function of design. His
career at BMW began shortly after the turn of the millennium with a
special project in Barcelona, Spain. In other postings within the
BMW Group, Weil designed – among other things – the exterior of models
including the BMW 3 Series and BMW 328 Hommage (unveiled at the
Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este classic car event in 2011). Following
a period in Los Angeles, he took over as Head of Exterior Design at
MINI in 2013 and feels very much established there. This is a place
where he can help shape the future, with a team that give him fresh
inspiration day by day.
The Weil ideology: create new things.
Among the
aspects of MINI that fascinate Weil are the multiple facets the brand
has developed through the connection of past and future. He firmly
believes that the design possibilities for the brand are endless;
because MINI can surprise yet at the same time remain 100% MINI. That
explains why he finds the initial sketch phase of the design process
particularly stimulating. Here, the wealth of ideas within his team
are allowed to pour out unchecked. A passionate designer, Weil
deliberately creates this exciting environment in order to spark
groundbreaking ideas and innovations. Weil sets great store by not
only exploring all avenues but also creating a depth to a car’s design
that strikes a chord with the customer. Design has to be thoroughly
thought through and specifically adapted to the function and the
target group at hand.
Weil considers in-depth technical understanding to be a crucial
element in good automotive design. After all, a car’s design spawns an
emotion-rich overall experience, underpinned by its technology and engineering.
On a personal note.
Weil lives and breathes
design. He draws inspiration from life itself – in major international
cities, for example. Here he observes how changing light alters the
shape of vehicles, he absorbs the flows and trends and incorporates
them into his work. He is particularly taken by the work of
Charles & Ray Eames, above all by the aesthetic beauty of their
designs, but also by the duo’s deep understanding of technology,
materials, problem-solving and the manufacturing process as such. To
clear his head, Christopher turns to water sports – so it’s handy he
lives by a lake.