In its commitment to preserving the history of motorsports, the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum recently added 85,000 square feet of wide-open space, bringing the total to more than 250,000 square feet of fascinating motorcycle and vintage vehicle exhibition. The 880-acre Barber Motorsports Park also added two pedestrian bridges to give access to infield areas within the 2.38 mile road course.

The new addition was conceived as a natural extension of the storied motorcycle display within a more open, exposed geometry, driving natural light into the full volume of the expansive three-story atrium. The continuation of a well-conceived spatial slice through the museum draws out the unique floor level changes and offers a variety of exhibit experiences and views of the track beyond. The grand space is punctuated with a floating concrete spiral staircase, flowing around a glass elevator, and tying back to the creative circulation at the heart of the original museum. Extreme attention to the character of the materials and the complimentary forms give the overall impression that the entire building was constructed at one time.

In order to achieve a balance of typically stratified air temperature across the levels of the large space, an innovative return air system was devised to simply distribute cold air to the upper level and effectively reduce the energy expenses 33%. Carefully integrated infrastructure across wide open floor plates allows great flexibility in display type and arrangement, lending great freedom to curators and to dreamers imagining themselves on the open track or the winding road.

Completion

2016

Size

85,000 SF

Services

Architecture
Interior Design