The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded £9.1m (US$11.5m, €10.7m) to the Silverstone Heritage Experience, guaranteeing development of a new permanent exhibition at the home of British motor racing.
Sitting at the main entrance to the race circuit, the exhibition by Mather & Co will create a series of interactive exhibitions and displays to be housed inside the only remaining Second World War hangar on the Silverstone site.
For the experience, Mather & Co will fully refurbish and re-clad the hangar, with a second new building to house the archives of the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC), a specialist library and a learning space for school groups. The main exhibition will tell the history of Silverstone set against the wider context of motor racing in the UK and worldwide.
“As the lead consultant we will work hard to ensure that the heritage of Silverstone and British motor racing, and the relevant collections are given a rightful home in new state-of-the-art surroundings for everyone to enjoy,” said Chris Mather, chief executive at Mather & Co.
“The story of Silverstone is broader than just Formula 1, the site has a rich and diverse history, which has remained untold to the wider public until now and warrants further investigation and interpretation in a modern and dynamic visitor centre.”
In addition to the new exhibition, Silverstone Heritage Live will include a series of themed tours stopping at iconic sites around the famous circuit, while an extensive formal education programme focused on STEM subjects will also be created.
“Silverstone is a place where so many legends of British motor racing have their roots,” said HLF chair, Sir Peter Luff. “The speed and the glamour, though, are only part of the success of British motorsport since the late 1940s. When completed this project will help visitors, many of whom will know little about many aspects of Silverstone’s heritage, to understand much more about the context and importance of this internationally renowned racing circuit.”
Work on the project will start in 2017, with the Silverstone Heritage Experience opening to the public in Q1 2019.
