When I stepped foot into the McLaren manufacturing facility (MTC) in Woking, I couldn’t help but think I may have stumbled onto the set of the 2005 science fiction thriller The Island starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. Both play characters set in a highly structured, sterile world within a compound, governed by a set of strict rules. In the movie, the residents of this compound believe the outer world has become uninhabitable for human life. Thus, they are confined to the island. This may not quite be the reality for those working at the MTC, but the ultra-modern facility designed by Foster and partners had a distinct, clinical feel to it. Inspired by the rear wing support struts on the Le Mans-winning F1 GTR, it’s an architectural triumph. Think stark white, cavernous walkways and glass walls showcasing a ripple free artificial lake. It almost feels as though its wraps around the kidney shaped building like a moat, further drawing parallels to The Island.