Speed-Driven New Buildings at the Hungaroring

In June 2025, in time for the jubilee 40th Hungarian Grand Prix, the renewed 25,000 m² paddock building and the new 10,000-seat grandstand of the Hungaroring were inaugurated in Mogyoród, based on the designs of DVM Group Ltd. and SAMO Architects Ltd. Together with the pit building completed in an earlier phase of the development, the comprehensive renewal affects nearly 50,000 m² in total.

The rethinking of the Hungaroring’s building stock had become essential, as the existing facilities no longer met contemporary requirements, and the renewal was a fundamental condition of the contract secured through 2032. Beyond this, the circuit and the Hungarian Grand Prix occupy a defining place in the history of Hungarian motorsport, and few events contribute more significantly to the country’s international image than Formula 1.

The collaboration between Hungaroring Sport Plc., DVM Group Ltd. and SAMO Architects Ltd. spans nearly a decade, as joint conceptual work on the renewal of the building ensemble began as early as 2016. The process first took tangible form with the design and completion of the 21-metre-high public artwork titled Dynamics, a Hungaroring sculpture unveiled in 2019. This was followed by the multi-phase renewal of the paddock buildings. In 2024, the new main entrance office building and the completely rebuilt, significantly enlarged pit building were handed over. In the summer of 2025, the home of speed entered a new era, with the opening of the new paddock and grandstand complex on the site of the former structures. The buildings aligned with the start-finish straight will be fully completed and fine-tuned for race operations by the summer of 2026.

A key expectation for the new building ensemble was that the Hungaroring should function not only during race weekends, but throughout the entire year as a multifunctional event venue – hosting conferences, corporate functions and family events – enabled by new outdoor spaces and divisible event halls, thereby supporting the long-term sustainability of both the circuit and its buildings.

Exceptionally limited time was available for the design and construction of these functionally unique buildings. This constraint necessitated an extraordinarily efficient partnership between the engineers of DVM Group Ltd. and SAMO Architects Ltd. “The Hungaroring development is a prime example of what can be achieved when client, designer and contractor work together in genuine partnership. We envisioned a trackside building ensemble that will serve the needs of Formula 1, enhance the spectator experience and support the daily operation of the circuit for decades to come, while consistently prioritizing engineering precision and sustainability,” Dániel Berecz, Lead Architect at DVM Group said.

Within less than a year, a set of highly complex buildings had to be designed entirely from scratch – structures without precedent in Hungary, and of a type not designed by a Hungarian architect-engineer for 39 years. The preparatory phase of design involved not only a precise understanding of the client’s vision, but also the analysis of internationally realized examples in the absence of established professional literature. The engineers’ task was further expanded by the requirement to comply with the strict regulations and standards of Formula One Management and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).

Additional constraints arose from the limited design envelope of the paddock and grandstand. The expanded program demanded larger buildings on the footprint of the existing ones, yet their outlines were, quite literally, set in stone by the rigid geometry of the race track. Ultimately, however, these boundaries and constraints became defining strengths of the new architectural solution.

More than 40 architects worked simultaneously on the paddock and grandstand designs, investing tens of thousands of engineering hours to ensure that the newest Formula 1 trackside building ensemble of 2025 could make its debut on the international stage. To accelerate structural construction, the paddock building was divided into six so-called expansion units. These segments enabled multiple building sections to be constructed simultaneously by different teams and site management units. This technological and scheduling strategy made it possible for demolition of parts of the old structure and construction of new sections to proceed in parallel.

The new paddock building, stretching over 340 meters in length, serves as a multifunctional hub for drivers, organizers and spectators alike. DVM Group’s designers conceived an architectural system that is rational and streamlined, while simultaneously evoking the visual language of motorsport.

The paddock’s five levels – including a rooftop service yard – encompass 25,000 m² of built-up area, housing thirty-six pit boxes and four technical garages. Generous VIP terraces on the upper levels offer uninterrupted views along the full length of the race track, while the interior spaces accommodate flexible event halls for 300 to 1,000 guests. An integrated bioclimatic pergola system appears on both façade and roof, vertical circulation is provided by ten lifts and expanded circulation cores, and two new tunnels establish critical connections essential to race operations.

In terms of materiality, DVM Group translated the material language of motorsport into architectural scale: rustic PREFA metal panels, pearlescent Alucobond surfaces, deep burgundy steel cladding and glazed concrete finishes together form a powerful, character-defining façade.

The 10,300-seat grandstand, designed by SAMO Architects Ltd., ensures optimal sightlines to the most exciting sections of the track from every seat. The spectator area has been moved four meters closer to the main straight, the former steel structure has been replaced with durable reinforced concrete, and the covered seating is supported by a distinctive reinforced-concrete colonnade spanning 30 meters.

The upper level accommodates exclusive seating areas, an event terrace and climate-controlled commentator booths, with a dedicated connection to the paddock. As part of the landscape design, the event area has been doubled in size, making it suitable for year-round multifunctional use.

Throughout the entire complex, DVM Group and SAMO prioritized long-term energy efficiency. Climate control is provided by a VRV air-source heat pump system, flexibly adjustable to varying operational modes. Façade cantilevers function as passive shading elements to reduce thermal load, while a rooftop photovoltaic system comprising 1,290 panels covers a significant portion of the building’s energy demand. Optimized building automation continuously monitors and fine-tunes performance. During construction, recycled concrete aggregate was also incorporated, reducing environmental impact and reinforcing a circular design approach.