TEMPLE OF SPEED

The Autodromo Nazionale di Monza is one of the oldest and fastest race tracks in the world, attracting a large number of enthusiasts during its events. The circuit is located in a fantastic urban park in the city of Monza, very close to Milan. Thus this place is used by the citizens all year round. For this reason, a new gate at the south entrance of the park needs to be considered as a public landmark that enhances the quality of the public space during the year, and simultaneously works as a filter for the flux of movement during events.

     The Studio designed a simple structure, which takes its form from the original circuit of 1922. In this configuration, the circuit is formed by two interconnected tracks: The oval high-speed ring and the main track. The result is a structure, twenty-two meters high, representing half of the circuit, while the other half remains a two-dimensionalelement in the ground. During the design process we tested different proportions in order to respond to the need of creating a sculptural structure that can be also used as a proper gate during the events. This structure needed to filter a large number of people, vehicles, and goods. At the same time, the strong symbolic reference aims to emphasise its long history and recognisability in the world.