Munich. Tomorrow, the new fine-dining restaurant at
BMW Welt will welcome its first customers. Since the start of the
year, head chef Jens Madsen – who follows in the footsteps of Bobby
Bräuer in the exclusive surroundings of BMW Welt – has been working
together with BMW Group Designworks, the BMW Group's innovation
studio, on a unique new concept: THE CLOUD by Käfer. Here, Madsen,
restaurant manager Mona Röthig, sommelier Luigi Pecchia and their team
will introduce guests to the “CULINARY NOMADISM” vision successfully
trialled at a pop-up event in April.
The restaurant’s opening season will explore the theme “NOMADIC
EARTH”, as Madsen escorts his guests on a culinary voyage.
“With Nomadic Earth, we are writing the first chapter in our new
travelogue. We want to offer our guests a special experience of
elite-level cuisine that expands their horizons and blends aromas and
textures from around the world with the finest produce from our local
region – with surprising yet cohesive results. In Jens Madsen, Mona
Röthig and Luigi Pecchia, we have assembled a team who are turning
this ambitious vision into masterful reality with exceptional skill
and passion,” explains Michael Käfer.
“To bring Käfer’s vision to life, Designworks developed the spatial
concept and storytelling for THE CLOUD. Materials, forms, and details
come together to create an atmosphere that is sensual, full of
contrast, and emotionally engaging. In this way, the design becomes an
integral part of the overall culinary experience,” says Anders
Warming, Head of BMW Group Designworks.
“With THE CLOUD by Käfer, we are adding a new dimension to the BMW
Welt experience. In addition to vehicle handovers, we can now also
offer our guests an inspirational culinary journey in a unique setting
created by BMW Group Designworks Munich. Here, in the upper reaches of
BMW Welt on its third level, guests enjoy an impressive view over the
inside of the building, while immersed in a fine-dining experience,”
adds Sandra Wittemer, Head of BMW Welt.
The experts at BMW Group Designworks and Käfer have worked together
closely since 2023 to create a space for all the senses and make a
visit to THE CLOUD by Käfer truly unforgettable. Light, music, visual
and haptic features flow into one another; every light and every piece
of furniture contributes to the experience as a whole. For the
execution of the project, BMW Group Designworks collaborated with
renowned partners including architectural and design studio
hildmannwilke, German lighting design brand Occhio, the artist Oscar
Zabala – known for his generative audio-visual performances and
installations – and innovative Swiss fabric manufacturer Jakob
Schlaepfer, supplier to haute couture fashion houses around the world.
The eight-course menu with complementary side dishes brings regional
produce – such as goat’s milk from Lenggries, char from Kinsau and
venison from the Poltinger Forest – together with dukkah, black pepper
soup and pearl emmer pilaf. And the milk-fed veal brochette is
inspired by snacks typically served with a beer in African bars. Jens
Madsen takes prime cut of veal, skewered on a spike, and serves it
with tiger nut, chapati and habanero pepper.
The philosophy behind Madsen’s cuisine is very much his own and is
rooted in movement, memory and origin. This new concept new brings
together culinary traditions, skills and spices from around the world
with top-quality local produce to create highly distinctive cuisine.
In Season 1 at THE CLOUD by Käfer, this features aromas and
ingredients from eastern and southern Africa, combined with the
delicacies and rhythm of Bavaria. Each course reflects a particular
stop on a culinary journey, in some cases inspired by faraway shores,
at other times recalling pastures closer to home. It all goes into
making cuisine that exudes a curiosity for global influences yet
embraces its local roots, appealing to the senses, sparking wonder and
surprise, and staying open to new perspectives.
Elegant and inviting, with a technically refined aesthetic, the
restaurant displays clear references to the design language of BMW.
After ascending to the third level of the “floating” structure
conceived by COOP Himmelb(l)au, the guests embark on their journey
after leaving the elevator. Arriving on Moon Island, they can take a
moment to tune into the feel of the evening. They are greeted in
understated style by a digital artwork featuring a quarter moon, which
gradually morphs from the golden hour through soft twilight to the
deep blue tones of the night.
At the Biophilic Bar, made from Perlino marble, artistically
presented ingredients from the menu arouse the guests’ curiosity about
the dining to come as they enjoy an aperitif. They then move on to the
Slim Bar, where a personalised cocktail will be served – and where
they can also round off their journey later on with a concluding
drink. Here, the golden hour transitions into the blue hour. The
guests then move on through the Chef’s Atelier, decorated with travel
photos and exotic examples of kitchenware, until they finally reach
the Dining Cloud, taking their seats at tables with panoramic views
over BMW Welt. Floating over the centre of this space is the amorphous
cloud-like installation from which it takes its name. Made from a
transparent, featherweight fabric material, and brought to weightless,
constantly changing life by a projection, it reprises both the golden
colour of sunset and the deep blue of midnight.
Between the kitchen and the Dining Cloud stands a five-ton monolith
made of titanium stone. On this impressive stage, the kitchen team put
the finishing touches to the plates, before the servers take them to
their recipients. The guests are given another hint of what is
happening in the kitchen by a one-way mirror with 15 per cent
transparency, which provides glimpses without revealing the whole picture.
BMW Group Corporate Communications
Lisa Meindl, Spokesperson BMW Museum and BMW Welt
Telephone: +49-89-382-31668
E-mail: lisa.meindl@bmw.de
Simone Bauer, Communications BMW Welt
Telephone: +49 151 601 414 52
E-mail: simone.bauer@bmw.de
Internet: www.press.bmwgroup.com
E-mail: presse@bmwgroup.com
About BMW Group Designworks
Designworks is the BMW Group's innovation studio and a global
creative consultancy at the intersection of design, technology and
innovation. The "Architects of Future" focus on mobility,
product and digital life design as well as strategic design consulting.
The creative studio was acquired by the BMW Group in 1995.
Designworks acts as a driving force for all brands of the parent
company and as an innovation driver for a large number of clients in a
wide range of industries, such as IT and consumer electronics,
aviation technology, the medical and environmental sectors, and the
lifestyle and sports industries. The studio was founded in 1972 in
Malibu, California by Chuck Pelly. Holger Hampf has been at the helm
of the consulting agency since 2017.
About Käfer at BMW Welt
Käfer arrived at BMW Welt in October 2012, and now operates the
Cooper's Garden bistro, Biker’s Lodge café, Bavarie restaurant and THE
CLOUD by Käfer fine-dining restaurant. A bespoke culinary concept was
developed by Käfer for the new partnership that takes into account the
wide variety of guests visiting Bavaria’s most popular attraction.
From the people who work at BMW Welt and customers collecting their
new cars, to families from the Munich area, tourists from around the
world and discerning aficionados of gourmet cuisine – the various
eateries offer a broad spread of options for every taste. Particular
emphasis has been placed on bringing together regionality and
internationality – reflecting the Munich-based heritage of BMW and
Käfer – with sustainability front and centre.
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW
Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and
motorcycles and also provides premium financial services. The BMW
Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide;
the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2024, the BMW Group sold 2.45 million passenger vehicles and more
than 210,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the
financial year 2024 was € 11.0 billion on revenues amounting to €
142.4 billion. As of 31 December 2024, the BMW Group had a workforce
of 159,104 employees.
The economic success of the BMW Group has always been based on
long-term thinking and responsible action. Sustainability is a key
element of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy and covers all products
from the supply chain and production to the end of their useful life.
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