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Thursday, December 8, 2011

McLaren Production Centre / By Foster + Partners

Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom
Foster + Partners
Post By:Kitticoon Poopong
Photo © Courtesy of McLaren
The McLaren Production Centre, the second building designed by Foster + Partners at McLaren’s Woking site one the outskirts of London.

Photo © Courtesy of McLaren
The 34, 500 square metre facility will house the assembly of all future McLaren Automotive road cars, including the recently launched MP4-12C high-performance sports car; it has already led to the creation of a large number of skilled manufacturing jobs.
Photo © Courtesy of Foster + Partners/Photo:Nigel Young
The state-of-the-art McLaren Production Centre is located to the south-west of the existing McLaren Technology Centre. The two buildings are connected by a subterranean walkway and share a common language of details and materials. The entrance, echoing the existing building, is a circular glass drum beneath the overhang of the roof canopy.
Photo © Courtesy of Foster + Partners/Photo:Nigel Young
Photo © Courtesy of Foster + Partners/Photo:Nigel Young
As a manufacturing facility, the building is inherently flexible, with a wide span between columns and fully integrated services. The linear arrangement of the two-storey structure mirrors the flow of the production line: components are delivered; the cars are assembled, painted and tested, and then pass through a rolling road and car wash, before leaving the building. Beneath this floor there is a full basement level for storage and plant and above is a mezzanine floor with views over the production line. Every stage of production takes place under the same roof. Initially it will take 10 days for an MP4-12C to be assembled; at peak production it will be possible to build one in five days, with a new car joining the line every 45 minutes.
Photo © Courtesy of Foster + Partners/Photo:Nigel Young
Photo © Courtesy of Foster + Partners/Photo:Nigel Young
Although the McLaren Production Centre represents a major increase in McLaren’s capabilities at its Woking campus, the building is dug into in the gentle incline of the site, to give it a discreet presence in the landscape. The lower floor is sunk completely below ground and the superstructure is almost invisible from the nearby road, with further screening provided by extensive tree planting.
Photo © Courtesy of Foster + Partners/Photo:Nigel Young
Photo © Courtesy of Foster + Partners/Photo:Nigel Young
The new McLaren Production Centre is designed to be environmentally efficient. The roof collects rainwater and has been designed to integrate photovoltaic panels in future; and the building incorporates a low-energy system of displacement ventilation. No soil was removed from the site, and all excavated material has been used to conceal the building within the green-belt landscape.
Description from the Architects:
site plan--drawing © Courtesy of Foster + Partners
ground floor plan--drawing © Courtesy of Foster + Partners
East elevation/Tunnel--drawing © Courtesy of Foster + Partners
south elevation--drawing © Courtesy of Foster + Partners
west elevation--drawing © Courtesy of Foster + Partners
longitudinal section--drawing © Courtesy of Foster + Partners
cross section--drawing © Courtesy of Foster + Partners

Video:The MPC is a quantum leap in car manufacturing facilities and, as you can see in this video, is a truly special place, as innovative and exciting as the MP4-12C that is built there.


Video:McLaren Group Executive Chairman Ron Dennis and McLaren Automotive Managing Director present the stunning new McLaren Production Centre; the birthplace of all future sports cars from McLaren Automotive.

Project Data
Project name: McLaren Production Centre
Address: McLaren Technology Centre, Woking, Surrey GU21, UK
Program: Vehicle manufacturing facility
Gross Area: 34,500m2
Design Year: 2009
Completion Year: 2011
External Plant Area: 620 m2
Building Height: 6.6 m
Building Length: 200 m
Building Width: 100 m
Length of tunnel: 100 m (between visitors centre and MPC)
Number of Storeys: 2 (Ground and basement)
Visit McLaren's Website: here

The people
Client/Owner: McLaren Group
Architects: Foster + Partners
Principal Designers: Norman Foster, David Nelson, Nigel Dancey
Design Team: Iwan Jones, Dominik Hauser, Nina Linde, Chris Johnstone, Kathleen Mark, Nicholas Papas
Structural and Civil, Geothermic, Fire, Acoustics, CDM: Buro Happold
Services and Environmental Consultant: PHA Consult
Landscape Architect, Planning Consultant: Terence O’Rourke
Quantity Surveyor: Gardiner & Thebold
Photographs: © McLaren, Nigel Young


Note>>Location in this map, indicate city/country but not exact address.
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