Timber cladding has taken pride of place at an exciting new hospitality venue at Silverstone – with products supplied by Russwood.
“This is probably the best place in the world to watch a Formula 1 car – I can see nine corners from here,” says British racing driver Jenson Button.
He’s talking about Escapade Silverstone, a novel hospitality experience with a front-row seat at the world-famous race course and home of Formula One (F1).
Launched in 2024, this immersive hotel and restaurant site brings motorsport enthusiasts unbeatable views of the track and surrounding countryside, as well as a selection of premium facilities.
Among these is the heart of Silverstone’s social scene, the Clubhouse, as well as a driver-focused gym, pool, sauna, restaurant, bar and roof terrace.
“Escapade Silverstone started out with one main aim: to be the ultimate trackside destination,” says Will Tindall, founder of Escapade. “Everything we create has to enhance the location and the experience of Silverstone Circuit.”
Together with Twelve Architects and HG Construction, timber products from TDUK member Russwood have helped drive this unique venue to legendary status.
Timber cladding on a mass scale
The site now attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Quality timber cladding was key to ensuring cohesiveness between the track, venue, and countryside. Escapade Silverstone’s architecture elevates not just individual elements of its location, but the entire ecosystem.
“We felt early on that timber would help visually tie the structures together and blend more harmoniously with the surrounding landscape,” says Will. Russwood’s Lunawood cladding coated in SiOO:X Mid-Grey was ultimately chosen for the site, with more than 150,000 linear metres of this thermally modified timber cladding now installed.
Sustainable and durable
Hailing from 100% PEFC-certified forests in Finland, Lunawood is rooted in sustainability: a vital component of the material selection process for Escapade Living.
“Timber can be a sustainable approach even at scale,” says Will.
“Finland grows 108 million m3 of forest area per year, felling just 83.5 million m3 in the same period, which means the forests are growing faster than they are used.”
Lunawood is only treated with heat and steam, and it can be coated with SiOO:X Wood Protection, a natural product which Russwood applies in its factory.
“No chemicals,” says Will. “[Lunawood’s and SiOO:X’s] non-toxic qualities allow for recycling after use…maintaining the highest eco credentials throughout from growth stage to end of life.”
SiOO:X eliminates differential weathering to create a uniform finish – keeping this a first-place destination for years to come.
Versatile tongue and groove profiles also make Lunawood a great choice for projects of any size that seek a contemporary aesthetic.
Will continues: “As experts in their field, it has been a pleasure to work with Russwood on selecting the correct product. Through testing, sourcing samples and undertaking site visits with us until we were satisfied, Russwood ensured that our construction, environmental and architectural teams were kept informed and educated on the product.”
A development shaped by the magic of F1
Escapade Silverstone is an F1-inspired venue, meaning the design choices – every angle, cladding board and piece of furniture – circle around the magic of F1’s most memorable corners, and the record-breaking laps yet to come. This is true of all the buildings, from the accommodation to the Clubhouse, where floor-to-ceiling windows frame the action.
“The trackside residences are angled towards the best views of the track from each spot, and the residences behind step down in height and scale as you retreat from the tarmac,” says Will.
Residents can choose from three accommodation types:
- The Trackside residences consist of three or four-bedrooms and sit just 12 metres from the crash barrier fence, offering excitement from the front edge.
- Dual Aspect residences offer the best of both worlds: with up to four bedrooms and a roof terrace, they have a vertical layout that delivers views over the track and the surrounding countryside.
- The Countryside residences are four-bedroom apartments that enjoy endless views over the Northamptonshire countryside, maintaining access to the action without compromising on peace.
Lunawood’s simplicity also helped to spotlight Twelve Architects’ design mastery. Bold shapes and cantilevered buildings maximise the development’s proximity to the track. Board-fin arrangement and solar shading fins also create dynamic shadows and allow natural light to filter into the 60 private residences, which began welcoming guests in summer 2024.
“Having a consistent finish on crisply detailed timber is a key part of the luxurious feel of our architecture and sets the tone for the quality expected of our interiors,” says Will.
* This article was originally published in the Spring 2025 issue of Supplying Timber magazine.
