JZMK Partners developed the conceptual design for the Race Central facility envisioned to support the return of Formula 1 racing to Southern California in 2016. Planned as part of a proposed street circuit weaving through the Anaheim Stadium District, the project was conceived not only as race infrastructure, but as a catalyst for broader urban activation within the sports and entertainment corridor surrounding Angel Stadium and the Honda Center.
The three-story Race Administration Building was designed to house race control operations, media facilities, and event administration, forming the operational core of the venue. Extending from the central structure, two approximately 250-foot wings were planned to accommodate team garages and pit functions at ground level, with VIP and Paddock Club suites above. An elevated rooftop terrace was envisioned as an outdoor viewing and hospitality space, reinforcing the project’s role as both a functional hub and a public-facing event destination.
The architectural language, expressed through steel and glass, was conceived as a modular system to allow for partial mobility and reuse across future events. The form abstracted the head-on geometry of a Formula 1 car, translating speed, precision, and performance into the built environment.
While the race itself represented a global sporting event with an anticipated audience of hundreds of millions, the project’s broader vision focused on how temporary infrastructure could help frame a more permanent identity for the Anaheim Stadium District, demonstrating how large-scale events can act as testing grounds for future urban investment, placemaking, and destination growth.
THE CALIFORNIA SURF STORY