Mayfield Grand Prix
This proposal sets out to obsolete the Mancunian Way, instead proposing a carbon neutral Formula One Grand Prix in Mayfield.
The Mancunian Way was built around the essence of speed and time; a high-speed route which aimed to improve inner city efficiency by reducing the time it takes to travel. Nowadays, the Mancunian Way is no longer fit for this purpose. Heavy congestion, dangerous volumes of exhaust fumes, and a distinct boundary disconnects Mayfield from the rest of Manchester. The proposal aims to mitigate these issues by gradually closing the Mancunian Way to everyday traffic, turning it into an area of public realm which also serves as a racetrack for a series of periodic racing interventions.
In ten years’ time, racing in Mayfield will be at its pinnacle with the introduction of carbon neutral Formula One racing. This annual takeover of Mayfield proposes to celebrate the thrill of speed and provide entertainment for the people of Mayfield with a set of built interventions which centre on the act of spectating. When not being utilised for racing events, these interventions will seamlessly become expanses of public realm and everyday life in Mayfield.
The key built intervention is a race control hub, which ensures the logistical feasibility of racing in Mayfield. The hub acts as an observational point from which live oversight over much of the track can be gained by those overseeing a race. Inspired by monocoque construction similar to that of a formula one car, the hub uses a core and cell typology in which the ‘cell’ elements are orientated towards key views along the racetrack. When not being utilised by racing events, the hub opens up to the public with pop up shops or food stalls that entice people in with their pleasant views over Mayfield and further afield.
