Moveable Wing

John Rhodes, Populous’ Associate Principal and head of its motorsport team, has just led us to the top floor of the company’s impressive design studios in Putney, South London. A bank of computers sits along one wall, whilst a variety of architectural models lie, half-completed, across two large tables. In the corner, incongruous, a rather expensive-looking racing simulator sits, pride of place, clearly distinguished from the clutter in the rest of the room.

Since my arrival at the offices, Drew MacDonald, Populous’ motorsport specialist, has been visibly itching to show-off their pride and joy, and now I see why. Hooked up to three flat-screen monitors, an F1-style steering wheel and Corbeau bucket seat complete with some quite serious actuators; it’s bloody impressive.

“People can’t understand the plans,” says Rhodes, “we find this really helps with their reading of our ideas.” Architects are always using this excuse. Normally they just commission a model. And sometimes even, if they’re feeling a bit devil-may-care that particular day, they’ll pop some lights in it. That, seemingly, was a bit old hat for the Populous motorsport team.

At this point, Drew has climbed into the sim’s rather restrictive bucket seat, and I remember why we’ve come up here. Having just taken the car the wrong way down the pit lane, he’s lining up to take a run past the newly constructed Silverstone “Wing” pits and paddock building. They tell me that motion was a key determiner in the Wing’s design, and without the use of the simulator, there would be no way of refining the impression that speed lends to this structure.

There has been what can only be described as a bleakness to the Northamptonshire venue. Think of a city without its landmark buildings, Yas Marina Circuit without the hotel, it changes everything.

“The wing, itself, was really determined by the idea that we’ve got certain aspects like velocity; you can very much see the pulse of the building coming down. Where it [the roof] jumps up and responds to the circuit, we’ve got the start/finish line where it peaks and then finish line, where it explodes. By putting the podium on the end, we’ve got the ability to address the public from a 360-degree angle, looking out.”

“We worked very hard to get the most efficient building possible, says Rhodes, “we haven’t got much money, we’re not supported by the government at this time, so we developed a design, which is very similar to a racing car to a certain extent, where everything is stripped out and you’ve only got the pure essentials in there to deliver what is required to fulfil the brief; that’s the hospitality, the race control and the media centre.

“From there it was also felt that Silverstone had organically developed. [Whilst] there’s one or two buildings with character; you’ve got the clubhouse, but really there wasn’t anything which defined the brand of Silverstone.”

John begins to speak about the sense of arrival and destination that has been absent from Silverstone. He’s keen to avoid the word “flat” when he talks about the circuit and its surrounding context; Richard Phillips, the circuit’s MD doesn’t particularly like the liberal use of that adjective, but it’s certainly true that if this scheme is to have any success, Silverstone’s on track drama must be echoed by its architecture.

Personally speaking, the “explosion” as John puts it is the scheme’s biggest triumph. Before the Wing, when you approached Silverstone, or even just ventured around the circuit, there was nothing to draw you in, or to reference for a bearing. As it stands, aside from the magic of the racing that takes place on track, there has been what can only be described as a bleakness to the Northamptonshire venue. Think of a city without its landmark buildings, Yas Marina Circuit without the hotel, it changes everything.

Architects and physiologists use the phrase ‘cognitive mapping’ to describe a person’s ability to relate to his position within the immediate environment. What they have done here, is to create that much needed focal point for Silverstone; a landmark seen throughout the circuit.

Working predominantly within the sports and arena sector, Populous’ specialism has allowed it to influence a huge number of projects from the design of Ascot’s racecourse to the Yankee Stadium in New York. Interestingly, this diversity seems to flow throughout the firm’s projects. This wasn’t just about stylish accommodation for the annual Formula 1 event; it was about necessitating drama.

You’re suddenly taking the place that held the first-ever Grand Prix, with some great corners on it, and you’re trying to change it significantly… everyone’s watching, waiting for you to make a mistake.
“There are certain key aspects that we have done with this, one is that we set the building at five degrees [to the pit straight], which really relates to what we would do with a horse racing project. By doing that, not only have we given a better view down the pitlane from race control, but also, basically, it forces a perspective. As you look down there [from Club corner], it looks like you are going incredibly fast, a bit like railway tracks going away from you.”

It’s impressive reasoning, and certainly from my view of the simulator, this sense of occasion, along the pitlane, is perfectly transferred to the driver. What’s more, the roof’s heart beat profile is a stunning backdrop for the audience, but it’s a small, albeit striking, part of an overall design. Silverstone’s new configuration was raced first in MotoGP’s 2010 outing to the circuit with Formula 1 visiting less than a month later, but it will not be until later this year that we see the full effect on the circuit realised.

MacDonald, whose purpose, as the team’s motorsport specialist, was to oversee the redesign of the Grand Prix track, explained how the first lap will be completely different. “Going into Village this year, and obviously the loop straight after it, there’s going to be a lot of jostling to get the run out through Aintree and onto the Wellington Straight.” Arguing that before, with the start of the lap following through Copse, Maggots, Becketts and Chapel, the run down Hanger Straight caused the field to become strung out, with many overtaking possibilities at Vale rendered mute, both Drew and John are confident that this new configuration will significantly alter the first lap action.

Yet, weren’t they concerned about ruining a classic? “You’re suddenly taking the place that held the first-ever Grand Prix, with some great corners on it, and you’re trying to change it significantly… everyone’s watching, waiting for you to make a mistake.” says MacDonald. Other designers had, apparently, attempted the task, but none, felt the British Racing Driver’s Club, were capable of reacting to the context of the circuit with any degree of sensitivity.

“When we had the previous layout, we brought a simulator to the [British] Grand Prix. It helped us to pick out a bit more of what the drivers wanted. From that, we decided that maybe a simulator was the best way forward for track design, as well because we could just keep testing things quickly. In about forty minutes, I could go from CAD to driving it.”

Probably more out of envy, I was ready to slate these guys for the simulator; it seemed a big boy’s toy, with relatively little extension beyond an initial surface ingenuity. With Silverstone, there was just one opportunity to get it perfect.

“To me, he says, pulling himself from the simulator, making way for me, “it seemed obvious to be able to test something before you
build it.”

Now behind the wheel, accelerating towards Abbey, it seems very obvious indeed.