Shanghai International Circuit: A Monumental Fusion of Tradition and Modernity in Motorsports Architecture, Symbolizing China’s Growth in the Racing World
China’s overall growth has had also a positive impact on how motorsports is perceived in the country, moving it into the focus of public attention. Thus, calls for a Chinese world-class race track quickly grew louder – and Tilke was up for the task in a marshland in the Jiading District of Shanghai.
A look at key parameters already shows that the Shanghai International Circuit track has taken Chinese scales and dimensions well into account: The stands along the 5.451 km long circuit can cater for up to 200.000 spectators, for whom, in addition to the actual racing event, the architectural overall impression also contributes to the experience.
To achieve this, for the main building as well as the grandstands and other facilities we have created an architectural line that combines the grandeur and tradition-consciousness of China with the attention to detail and the inclination towards modernity – a visual representation which is still considered state of the art to this day.
The track itself is shaped like the Chinese character `shang´, which stands for `high´ or `above´. Other symbols represented in the architecture originate from Chinese history, such as the team buildings arranged like pavilions in a lake to resemble the ancient Yuyan-Garden in Shanghai. Here, nature and technology are carefully used to create harmony between the elements.
Within this design, the track layout allows for a top speed of around 330 km/h, yet alongside this high speed, challenging corners await, such as the prominent section from Turns 1 to 4 and the fast left-right sequence in Turns 7 and 8, known for especially high g-forces and wide popularity among the drivers.
Just like the Bahrain International Circuit, the Shanghai circuit was opened in 2004, marking its 20th anniversary celebration this year.
