Hampshire | UK
Thruxton Circuit
Early briefing and feasibility, followed by café, restaurant and cocktail bar interior design for the Arrival Building at Thruxton, known as the UK’s fastest race circuit.
Client | Thruxton Circuit Limited
Budget | Confidential
Status | Under construction
RIBA 0–1 briefing | 2–4 fit-out
Area | 1,000 sqm
Use | Hospitality
Role | PSA team worked under MATT Architecture
Scope | Briefing and feasibility; café, restaurant and cocktail bar interiors
CONTEXT
Thruxton’s race circuit and active airfield give the Arrival Building a setting shaped by speed, movement and engineering. The brief called for a more welcoming arrival and improved hospitality facilities, creating places to meet, dine and spend time overlooking the track. The architectural concept pairs sweeping metal cladding with an exposed plywood structure, drawing on aircraft construction and the streamlined bodies of early racing cars. Its curved entrance gives the building a recognisable presence on approach, while generous glazing and viewing terraces connect the hospitality spaces with the activity of the circuit.
ARCHITECTURAL RESPONSE
Early involvement in briefing and feasibility was followed by a separate commission for the café, restaurant and cocktail bar interiors. Close collaboration with the client translated their visual references and furniture selections into coherent layouts, finishes and lighting. The ground-floor café combines booth and counter seating in an informal setting, while planting, upholstered seating and shared tables give the first-floor restaurant a softer, more relaxed character. On the second floor, a darker palette, lounge seating and warm lighting create a more intimate cocktail bar. Together, the three interiors offer different ways to enjoy the setting, from a casual coffee to a meal overlooking the track or an evening drink.
