London Grand Prix plans floated for Royal Docks
Plans to build a Formula One motor racing track in the Royal Docks, E16, have been floated as part of a £250m proposal to transform the east London district into a waterfront destination.
Dar and LDN Collective have revealed plans to extend the width of the existing 10m embankment by 20m for 2.7km along the Royal Victoria and Royal Albert Dock embankment, from ExCeL to the University of East London. This, the duo said, would create nearly 12 acres of “prime waterfront land”.
In addition, a further 760,000 sq ft would be added through a series of “floating modules” on the water’s edge. These could be used for “a wide variety of functions”, from boutique hotels and restaurants to libraries and pocket parks.
Plans to build a Formula One motor racing track in the Royal Docks, E16, have been floated as part of a £250m proposal to transform the east London district into a waterfront destination.
Dar and LDN Collective have revealed plans to extend the width of the existing 10m embankment by 20m for 2.7km along the Royal Victoria and Royal Albert Dock embankment, from ExCeL to the University of East London. This, the duo said, would create nearly 12 acres of “prime waterfront land”.
In addition, a further 760,000 sq ft would be added through a series of “floating modules” on the water’s edge. These could be used for “a wide variety of functions”, from boutique hotels and restaurants to libraries and pocket parks.
The 28 moveable and flexible modules would offer 22 revenue generating units and six high quality floating parks with different uses, from spaces to relax and socialise, to playgrounds, learning areas, adventure zones and exercise spaces.
For 50 weeks of the year, London’s new waterside boulevard would be an ‘eventscape’, programmed to host events and activities, with a cycling and running track encouraging healthy and active lifestyles.
But, as the F1 race week approaches, the linear park would be disassembled to reveal an FIA grade surface, while the floating units would be reconfigured to provide grandstands, food and beverage outlets and entertainment facilities.
Floating grandstands would allow 95,000 spectators to watch cars race along a 5.9km track by the Royal Albert and Royal Victoria docks, before turning around the ExCel Centre. A London Grand Prix could come as early as 2026 in a best-case scenario.
Talks have already been held with Liberty Media, which has owned Formula One since 2017, and with the Greater London Authority, which is the freehold owner of most of the land in the area.
Max Farrell, CEO of the LDN Collective, said: “This vision could do for the Royal Docks what the Olympics did for Stratford and the Lea Valley. By extending the promenade we are creating a flexible eventscape and by creating floating commercial uses we are making the proposal financially viable and deliverable, without the taxpayer footing the bill.”
Dan Horner, director of urban design at Dar, added: “It’s apparent for anyone visiting the Royal Docks that the water is underutilised, but has huge un-tapped potential. We have approached this large, contained and clean body of water as a platform which can be reconfigured using floating modules, creating a new family orientated leisure and events destination.”
He acknowledged that the plans would seem outlandish to many in the UK. “Although floating buildings, structures and spaces are a relatively new concept within the UK, there is a growing number of precedents, notably in Europe, which have been highly successful and cost effective. We believe this is an exciting and viable solution for activating the Dock, making it a world class destination.”
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Image from Dar and LDN Collective
