F1® Arcade: A first of its kind entertainment venue designed to evoke formula 1 glamour.
The venue was designed to create a beautifully blended premium and glamorous Formula 1 environment.
F1® Arcade, the world’s first official premium F1 experiential venue, has now opened to the public as a first of its kind experience. Anamo Design Studio was briefed to design a unique, one-of-a-kind environment that beautifully blends the premium and glamorous Formula 1 lifestyle with the high-tech, energy infused Formula 1 racing.
The immersive state of the art F1 racing simulation experience comes with 60 motion F1 simulators enabling guests to live the thrill of racing, complemented by a best-in-class food and beverage offering created by the executive chef and expert mixologists.
Located at One New Change, St Paul’s, London, the site’s layout was influenced by the presence of St Paul’s Cathedral, with F1 Arcade offering panoramic views of the iconic London landmark. The cathedral itself was brought into the design of the VIP room through mirrored finishes.
Prior to commencing the concept design stages, the team at Anamo Design Studio focused on creating an abstract language with elements inspired from Formula 1 heritage and iconography that were re-interpreted as design elements. This included the ‘F’ radius becoming a repeated feature throughout the design from back bar arches, to cocktail seating and washroom doors. These re-interpreted iconography elements were layered over the core design pillars: assault of the senses and glamour to create a unique design strategy.
Designing with light was extremely important when developing the concept, and Anamo Design Studio collaborated with Victoria Jerram Lighting Design to ensure their vision was translated through lighting in all aspects of the design.
One of the standout design elements in the venue includes the 40ft cocktail bar which features a pattern wrap inspired by the Formula 1 corners and 5 glowing mirror clad arches that bring the whole energy of the venue into the back bar. Finishes including dark oak and fine bronze metal mesh were paired with rich black and gold marble to highlight the premium cocktail offering. The scale, curated finishes and glowing warm lighting combine to create a truly unique bar offering.
Away from the bar, the full height wall dividers inspired by the Formula 1 starting lights offer the best way of partitioning the 1500 sqm space without blocking it off and provide the perfect opportunity to introduce integrated light sources at various heights in the venue. Another element that amplifies the lighting scheme is the bespoke ceiling chandeliers designed by Anamo Design’s studio and manufactured and programmed by Light Lab. Inspired by iconic F1 Grand Prix circuit shapes, the chandeliers increase the venue’s energy through a series of kinetic movements that can be seen from all angles of the façade at street level.
Ana Moisin, Creative Director and Founder of Anamo Design Studio, says: “It’s been an absolute exhilarating ride to lead the interior concept design for F1 Arcade and work with a brand that, like us, keeps pushing the boundaries of F&B design and social entertainment. We were able to tap into the best local talent including some of our trusted partners and collaborations such as Dunmore Joinery (main bar, private room bar, reception desk, ‘starting lights’ wall dividers, sharing tables), OMC Joinery (waiter stations, vanities, DJ booth), Hill Cross Furniture (bespoke booths and banquettes) and Light Lab (kinetic circuit inspired chandeliers).”
The concept of F1 Arcade has been created by Adam Breeden, the pioneer of competitive socialising, masterminding some of London’s most popular and pioneering entertainment venues, including Flight Club, Puttshack, Hijingo, Bounce and All Star Lanes.
Adam Breeden, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of F1 Arcade, says: “We are thrilled to offer the first of these premium and exclusive entertainment experiences right in the heart of London. It has been my most ambitious project to date, taking everything we know about competitive socialising venues and adding the strength of the Formula 1 brand. This is all the glamour of a Grand Prix weekend in your city, all year round. The cutting-edge technology, high-class food and beverage, coupled with a jaw-dropping venue design sets a new level of quality.”
St. Paul’s is the first in the ambitious rollout planned for F1 Arcade, with a mixture of owned and operated venues, joint ventures, and franchise partnerships. Birmingham has already been announced as the next venue for F1 Arcade, while further target locations include the UK, the US, key European cities, the Middle East and Asia.
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