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On Site at the BMW Guggenheim Lab

The BMW Guggenheim Lab opened up at Houston St. at Second Ave. on Wednesday.

Before traveling to eight other cities in the next six years, including Berlin and Mumbai first, the lab will host a series of presentations, workshops, and interactive games over 10 weeks in New York. The talks will address — and try to come up with solutions — for issues and problems related to urban life.

The lab is sponsored by the automaker BMW. Check out a slide show of its first day below.

The BMW Guggenheim opened at Houston and Second Ave. on Wednesday.
The BMW Guggenheim opened at Houston and Second Ave. on Wednesday.

The lab's graphic icon, made up of elements of urban life written in many different languages, was designed by Sulki & Min from Seoul, South Korea. The graphic will change with time just as urban settings do.

(Luna Lin)
The entrance to the BMW Guggenheim Lab. The lab's main architecture is a structural skeleton built of carbon fiber, and designed by Atelier Bow-Wow as a “traveling toolbox.”
The entrance to the BMW Guggenheim Lab. The lab's main architecture is a structural skeleton built of carbon fiber, and designed by Atelier Bow-Wow as a “traveling toolbox.” (Luna Lin)
The agenda on the first day of the lab's opening.
The agenda on the first day of the lab's opening. (Luna Lin)
The game of "Urbanology."
The game of "Urbanology."

Part of the floor is designed as a chess board, in which people answer questions about urban planning and witness how their decisions influence an urban system.

(Luna Lin)
The boxes that contain tokens for the "Urbanology" game.
The boxes that contain tokens for the "Urbanology" game. (Luna Lin)
Some of the tokens include these so-called "Tokens of Mobility."
Some of the tokens include these so-called "Tokens of Mobility." (Luna Lin)
And these "Tokens of Livability."
And these "Tokens of Livability." (Luna Lin)
More tokens: the "Tokens of Affordability."
More tokens: the "Tokens of Affordability." (Luna Lin)
Visitors could take a break from thinking about urban planning and policy by having an organic snack at Roberta's Cafe in the lab.
Visitors could take a break from thinking about urban planning and policy by having an organic snack at Roberta's Cafe in the lab. (Luna Lin)
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