Adrian Van Hooydonk (second from left), head of design at BMW, visited the Shanghai studio of BMW Group Designworks USA last year.

Located in the bustling heart of metropolitan Shanghai, the building at No 18 Gaolan Road has borne witness to its share of history.

Once the residence of the head of the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce in the 1920s, it is just a stone's throw away from where Du Yuesheng, one of China's most infamous triad bosses, rose to power in the same period.

After restoration, the four-story building opened a new chapter in its history last April, when it became the new home to the Shanghai studio of BMW Group DesignworksUSA.

DesignworksUSA is affiliated with the luxury carmaker's design department and functions as its global think tank.

Unlike the design department, which only serves BMW Group, DesignworksUSA has a wide range of clients in different industries, including aviation, the environment and electronics.

Although its name suggests it only operates in the US, DesignworksUSA has headquarters in Los Angeles and two satellite studios - one in Munich and another in Shanghai.

"To fulfill its task of being able to inspire the design teams of BMW Group and to provide them with creative incentives, DesignworksUSA must be in places where future trends emerge," said Gerhard Steinle, director of the Shanghai Studio.

Melting pot

"Shanghai is strategically located in a geological and cultural intersection, making it a truly cosmopolitan city - like a melting pot of different cultures, where new experiences and lifestyles coexist and converge," Steinle said.

"DesignworksUSA aims to make contributions to China's creative industry, and to promote and support China's growing significance in the field of design as well," he added.

Steinle has more than 20 years of experience in the design industry.