Enstone Airfield, a disused airfield near Enston in Oxfordshire, is set to become Britain’s newest automotive park. Foster + Partners recently submitted designs for the new Mullin Automotive Park to the West Oxfordshire District Council for planning permission.
The park will display the history of automobiles over the last century while also acting as an open-ended collection that charts the changing face of mobility in the future. The park’s design draws from the idea of a rural estate. Visitors will be taken through a carefully designed landscape that funnels towards the main building at the heart of the site. A small cluster of workshop type buildings that include visitor facilities such as the ticket office and a cafe are located near the entrance of the site.
See Also: Grenoble, France’s new mixed-use building has the skin of a python
The buildings will be arranged in a crescent with the park’s museum acting as the focal point of the entire development. This design allows for most of the site to remain as green parkland. The automotive park will also include roads where cars from the Mullin collection can be driven, providing visitors with an immersive experience. A series of residential pavilions and landscaped lodges will also be located on the site.
Gerard Evenden, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners, said of the new park, “The Mullin Automotive Park will be a unique cultural destination set in Cotswold countryside, that seeks to support the wider community as well as providing a special experience for classic automobile collectors.”
Related Stories
| Feb 18, 2014
Robert A.M. Stern sent back to drawing board for Revolutionary War museum in Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Art Commission has suggested some significant changes to the design by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, namely the elimination of a cupola and the addition of eye-level windows on the ground floor.
| Feb 14, 2014
Giant interactive pinwheel adds fun to museum exterior
The proposed design for the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History features a 10-foot pinwheel that can be activated by passersby.
| Feb 14, 2014
Crowdsourced Placemaking: How people will help shape architecture
The rise of mobile devices and social media, coupled with the use of advanced survey tools and interactive mapping apps, has created a powerful conduit through which Building Teams can capture real-time data on the public. For the first time, the masses can have a real say in how the built environment around them is formed—that is, if Building Teams are willing to listen.
| Feb 13, 2014
Extreme Conversion: Nazi bunker transformed into green power plant, war memorial
The bunker, which sat empty for over 60 years after WWII, now uses sustainable technology and will provide power to about 4,000 homes.
| Jan 30, 2014
How reverse engineering nature can spur design innovation
It’s not enough to copy nature. Today’s designers need a deeper understanding of environmental nuance, from the biome in.
| Jan 28, 2014
16 awe-inspiring interior designs from around the world [slideshow]
The International Interior Design Association released the winners of its 4th Annual Global Excellence Awards. Here's a recap of the winning projects.
| Jan 28, 2014
Big Ten Conference opens swanky HQ and museum [slideshow]
The new mixed-use headquarters includes a museum, broadcast studios, conference facilities, office spaces, and, oh yeah, a Brazilian steakhouse.
| Jan 13, 2014
Custom exterior fabricator A. Zahner unveils free façade design software for architects
The web-based tool uses the company's factory floor like "a massive rapid prototype machine,” allowing designers to manipulate designs on the fly based on cost and other factors, according to CEO/President Bill Zahner.
| Jan 11, 2014
Getting to net-zero energy with brick masonry construction [AIA course]
When targeting net-zero energy performance, AEC professionals are advised to tackle energy demand first. This AIA course covers brick masonry's role in reducing energy consumption in buildings.
| Dec 30, 2013
Calatrava facing legal action from his home town over crumbling cultural complex
Officials with the city of Valencia, Spain, are blaming Santiago Calatrava for the rapid deterioration of buildings within its City of Arts and Sciences complex.
