F1 Motorsport Facilities
- location:
- UK
- client:
- Private
- role:
- Architecture
- sector:
- Workplaces
- status:
- Competition
A re-imagining of design and manufacturing facilities for the world’s top motorsport company
We were shortlisted to take part in an invited competition to re-imagine the current design and manufacturing facilities of a Formula One manufacturer. Their current facilities had grown up in an ad hoc fashion and were compromised on several fronts, particularly around security and the brand message.
The main reception was at the far end of the site away from the entrance. The site itself consisted of several industrial sheds within a sea of cars. Highly sensitive components had to be moved, often by hand, from one building to another through the car parks and this was visible from the public highway.
The cars in the car parks were a collection of ages and makes which in itself detracted from the brand message of the overarching manufacturer.
Design Approach
Our solution was to remove all the cars from between the current sheds and locate them inside a new multi-storey car park, the facade of which was then utilised as a giant brand billboard. A new reception building incorporating a visitor experience installation was located adjacent to the site’s main entrance to further enhance the brand message.
The space behind this and between the industrial sheds was then filled with a new ‘super shed’ which then connected all the various elements together and allowed for a sequential production line to be integrated on to the site.
At the far end of the site a new design facility with corporate and sponsor accommodation was located as well as staff catering facilities and this was all within a new park setting.
The layout was choreographed so that a potential or current sponsor arriving at the entrance would travel through the heart of the ‘super shed’ before emerging into the park and the corporate hospitality facilities within.
The client was very aware that any proposal could not impact on their continuing success on the race track and so the phasing strategy allowed for a radical transformation of the facilities whilst ensuring that impact on current design and manufacturing was minimal.
