The fact that they will reach 190 mph going steeply uphill toward what looks like a 310 degree turn right at the peak seems insane to me. I'd go to a race just for that alone.
Jeffrey McCord, an architecture graduate student at The University of Texas at Austin, had that to say after touring COTA on April 6 with his professor, Juan Miró. Juan is also the principal of Miró Rivera Architects, the Austin-based company recruited to build out two major elements of COTA - the Grandstand and the Viewing Platform. Miró took his studio students out for a site visit this past Friday and below are some amazing up-close-and-personal photographs.
Brittany Cooper, who is a LEED certified Green Associate, just like Edgar Ferrera, COTA's Sustainability Director, was also impressed with the project. The group of students fittingly drove the track in a school bus, so David Coulthard likely still holds the fastest lap time.
I didn't realize how large the project/site was out there. It is going to be quite the destination when it is finished. I was thoroughly impressed. We got to drive the track in a school bus. It was pretty hilarious!
Brittany, Jeffrey and other architecture students enjoyed the comprehensive tour and were able to grasp the magnitide of the project from ground zero. Juan also shared his vision with the students firsthand, explaining in more detail the logistics behind the Grandstand and the Viewing Platform. Brittany adds:
The coolest part of the project to me was the tower at the end of the Grand Plaza (under construction). Juan told us that this will be the only Formula 1 circuit in the world where you can get a full view of the entire track from one spot. Awesome.
Enjoy these photographs below.
