12th May 2004

Queen Opens Foster and Partners' McLaren Technology Centre

Foster and Partners today joined the McLaren Group to mark the official opening by Her Majesty The Queen of its new headquarters, the McLaren Technology Centre, which was designed by the world-renowned practice.

Lord Norman Foster attended the event at the McLaren Technology Centre with his Partner, David Nelson. Foster and Partners have designed a Centre that is sensitively sited within the surrounding countryside and that uses water from the dramatic lake and reed beds to ecologically cool the building. Creating a sustainable and environmentally friendly, flexible and pleasant working environment for a wide range of different functions was the central concern behind its design.

The Queen, who was accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, was taken on a tour of the facility, which included meeting McLaren employees and McLaren Group Partners, before officially opening the McLaren Technology Centre.

As part of a long-term strategy for the McLaren Group, the concept was to build a facility that will showcase technology and innovation. As well as providing the current technical team with the most sophisticated equipment to optimise its performance, the state-of-the-art facility will also act as an incentive to attract and retain the best engineering talent in the world and provide an impetus for the designers of the future.

 

Construction of the world-class facility began in 1998 on a 50 hectare site just outside Woking in Great Britain. The McLaren Technology Centre has enabled the centralisation of the majority of the McLaren Groups activities under one roof, in a facility that includes design studios, laboratories, research and testing capabilities, electronics development, machine shops and prototyping and production resources. There will also be a separate Visitor and Learning Centre which will open at a later date. The McLaren Technology Centre includes design studios, laboratories, research and testing facilities, electronics development, machine shops and prototyping and production facilities for the companys Formula One cars and the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.

  • For photographs of Her Majesty The Queen opening the McLaren Technology Centre please contact the McLaren Group press office +44 (0)1483 261 900 or email media@mclaren.com
  • For photographs of the McLaren Technology Centre please visit www.mclaren.com

 

Since the 1970s we have pioneered the design of flexible workplaces, providing not just low-energy buildings but those that give real social benefits. The McLaren Technology Centre is the outcome of this experience combined with the vision of Ron Dennis our client and a fantastic collaboration between the many teams involved in this highly innovative building. The McLaren Group is honoured and privileged that Her Majesty The Queen has opened our new headquarters a sentiment we are sure is shared by our architect on the project, Foster and Partners, said Ron Dennis CBE, Chairman and CEO, McLaren Group. Together with the McLaren Technology Centre Partners and architect, the McLaren Group has created a building that as well as being forward thinking in design and construction will provide an environment that will motivate and influence the people who will work within it. The facility is a major functional tool to ensure that we remain at the forefront of British engineering and technology, whilst helping to strengthen and develop the McLaren brand. The opening of the McLaren Technology Centre will be a milestone in the history of the McLaren marque, and we are proud it has been recognised in this way.

Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman