Grand Plaza & Austin360 Amphitheater
Bordered by the track on three sides, the 27-acre Grand Plaza lies at the heart of the Circuit of the Americas and defines the public experience for most visitors to the new motorsports and entertainment venue. The 3.4-mile racetrack coils around the Grand Plaza and springs out to the east and west, making it the perfect location not only to watch the action of the race unfold, but also to enjoy the amenities contained within. Ideally situated to capture the energy and atmosphere of the Circuit of the Americas, the Grand Plaza will serve as Central Texas’ new home for outdoor entertainment.
Visitors enter through a large hardscaped plaza containing the box office and entry gates. Overhead, flags welcome spectators from all nations as the entry plaza opens into the expansive Grand Plaza, with a dramatic view of the Observation Tower in the distance. This strong axial relationship across the Grand Plaza creates a significant moment of arrival to the Circuit of the Americas, establishing a sense of grandeur and place.
Continuing into the Grand Plaza, a monumental, elliptical reflecting pool sunken into a plush lawn offers a serene gathering point and draws visitors into the site. Varying landscape zones surround and enclose the reflecting pool to define unique areas of activity, including a large outdoor eating area shaded by a grove of Mexican sycamore trees.
From the reflecting pool, a promenade unfolds along the plaza’s northeast edge. Large banners and bold graphics punctuate this trellis-covered boulevard, making it a visually stimulating feature that frames the Grand Plaza. To the left are amenities including concession stands, retail areas, restroom facilities and the Turn 15 grandstands. To the right is the Great Lawn, which has the flexibility to accommodate a variety of events including festivals, athletics and pre-concert activities. At this point, visitors are surrounded by the sights and sounds of the race, heightening the sensory experience of the track and cementing the circuit’s identity. At the end of the promenade, a pedestrian bridge over Turn 16 grants access to the track infield as well as another bridge over Turn 3, thereby allowing visitors to completely cross the track.
Carved into the topography of the site in order to enhance acoustics and views of performers, the Austin360 Amphitheater is the largest outdoor stage in Central Texas, with 6,671 fixed seats and a total capacity of over 14,000 people. The dramatic backdrop of the 251 foot tall Observation Tower serves as a memorable setting, galvanizing the city of Austin’s reputation as the “Live Music Capital of the World.” Spectators enter the amphitheater at the back of the lawn and descend toward the stage, passing two tiers of fixed seating. The front center section of the fixed seating is occupied by nine rows of box seats with premium views of the stage. Directly in front of the stage, a flexible floor area provides the option for additional temporary seats, banquet tables or standing room.
Above the stage, a canopy of red steel tubes converges to form a “veil” that sweeps up and over the iconic Observation Tower. Exposed structural elements and red steel tubes are reoccurring themes meant to evoke the precision, dynamism and performance-driven design of racecars. Used consistently throughout the Circuit of the Americas, these elements create a cohesive visual experience that serves to establish the emerging identity of the complex as a world-class recreation and entertainment destination.
Observation Tower
Capturing the energy of Formula 1 racing in its iconic form, the 251 foot tall Observation Tower provides a dramatic focal point for the Circuit of the Americas and a new landmark for central Texas. Conceived as a visual finale to the central Grand Plaza, the Tower also serves as a memorable backdrop to the Austin360 Amphitheater concert venue at its base. The structure’s unique design anchors visitors’ experience of the motorsports and entertainment complex and fosters a sense of place that is essential to the new circuit’s identity.
The construction of the Observation Tower represents the successful integration of material efficiency with thoughtful structural design and elegant aesthetics. The Tower’s primary structure consists of a continuously-welded double-helix stair wrapped in a filigree-like diagrid. Each stair run serves as a helical diaphragm that transfers loads to a layered perimeter of vertical and diagonal HSS tubes. These small, distributed members contribute the necessary overall strength by number rather than individual brawn, enhancing the feeling of lightness and verticality that the Tower embodies. Together, the stair stringers/diaphragm, diagonal HSS layer and vertical HSS layer form a fully-braced tube.
Like Formula 1 racecars, the form of the Tower is directly influenced by its performance. Inspired by the image of red streaks of glowing light that tail lights leave behind in the dark, a roof of red steel tubes fans out over the amphitheater stage, converging at the base of the Tower to form a “veil” that sweeps up and over the central elevator core. The 8” diameter tubes not only have a strong visual impact, but also contribute to the structural stability of the Tower by acting as an outrigger column for lateral load resistance via a series of struts and rods that tie back to the primary structure.
Seemingly suspended from the red pipe steel canopy is a 900 square foot viewing deck that offers a sweeping panorama of the entire track, downtown Austin, and the nearby Hill Country from an elevation of 230 feet. A portion of the floor is structural laminated glass, allowing more daring visitors to look straight down to the ground below their feet. To reach the viewing deck, visitors can either ride a high-speed elevator or climb up 428 steps to their destination. At night, the stairs are illuminated by LED lights capable of producing an unlimited number of color combinations.
With less than a year to complete the venue in time for the inaugural race, final engineering, fabrication and erection of the Tower had to occur inside an extremely compressed timeframe. In order to expedite completion, the architectural, structural, and fabrication teams coordinated design solutions, detailing and construction strategies via a fully-connected 3D model instead of traditional paper drawings. This method allowed for agile, efficient communication between teams, and the project’s general contractor has estimated that it saved three months over traditional delivery methods.
In both its design and construction, the Observation Tower embodies the sense of precision, lightness and sleek dynamism associated with racing. Evoking the notion of split-second speed, the landmark structure reflects the spirit of the Circuit of the Americas and serves to establish the emerging identity of the complex as a world-class recreation and entertainment destination.
Client: Circuit of the Americas
Architecture: Miró Rivera Architects
Design Team:
Design Partners: Juan Miró, FAIA LEED AP & Miguel Rivera, AIA LEED AP
Project Architect/Manager: Ken Jones, LEED AP
Team Members: Matthew Sturich, Sergio Botero, Sarah Hafley, Michael Hsu, Diana Su
Civil Engineer: Carlson Brigance & Doering
Structural Engineer: Walter P. Moore
MEP Engineer: Bay & Associates
Lighting: ArcLight Design
Landscape: TGB Partners
General Contractor: Austin, Commercial, L.P.
Photographers:
Paul Finkel | Piston Design
Michael Hsu | Miró Rivera Architects
Ted Parker Jr. | Circuit of the Americas
Area: 27 acres
Site: 58.5 acres
Amphitheater Capacity:
Floor GA: 2,293 (Standing); 1,528 (Fixed)
Fixed Seating: 5,249
Lawn: 6,565
Total: 14,107
Buildings Included: Ticket Building #2 (916 sq ft), Concessions Support (3,220 sq ft), Concessions & Restroom (4,338 sq ft), Storefront (1,060 sq ft), Turn 3 Pedestrian Bridge, Turn 16 Pedestrian Bridge, Reflecting Pool (15,883 sq ft)
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