Project Spotlight: Circuit of the Americas / Formula One United States Grand Prix

Circuit of the Americas is a multi-purpose facility that will host the most prestigious racing events in the world, including the Formula One United States Grand Prix™, MotoGP and V8 Supercars. It is the first purpose-built Grand Prix facility in the United States. The state-of-the- art 3.4-mile circuit track has capacity for 120,000 fans and an elevation change of 133 feet.

Circuit of the Americas is ideally situated on approximately 1,000 acres in southeast Travis County, approximately two miles from Austin Bergstrom International Airport, with scenic views of downtown Austin. Far more than a racetrack, Circuit of The Americas is a world-class performance, education and meeting center to be used year round for entertainment, business and community events.

Design & Construction Team
Austin Commercial served as construction manager for the project. German engineering firm Tilke designed the track, with consulting from Dr. Rainer Hart, the world expert on Formula One racetrack construction. Six other buildings complete the venue, and were designed by architectural and engineering teams from HKS, STG Design and Miro Rivera Architects.

Construction Elements
One of the project’s most important and detailed construction components was the track itself - the surface over which Formula One race cars roar at speeds over 200 miles per hour each November. The track is a 10 foot section with 8 layers of highly-specified materials. The six other building elements that make up the venue include the pit building, grandstand, media center, team and medical buildings, the Austin360 Ampitheater and observation tower.

The observation tower is 250 feet tall and is the focal point of the 5,000 seat outdoor amphitheater. The ampitheater is the largest of its kind in Central Texas and has additional space for 10,000 people in standing room.

Central Texas Impact
The facility welcomed 117,429 visitors from around the world for race weekend, November 16 - 18, 2012. The venue is expected to attract between 800,000 and 1.2 million people per year at various events. In addition to being a landmark facility for racing and other special events, it also was a major boost to the Central Texas economy. The project created approximately 1,000 construction jobs, and close to 300 full-time jobs will be needed at the facility itself. More than 3,000 event-specific employees will be hired to staff annual events.

Erin Bettison, CPSM
Austin Commercial