Entec Access Systems installs bespoke acoustic sliding doors at McLaren Racing's wind tunnel

Staines-upon-Thames, UK, 4 November 2026. Entec Access Systems has completed a bespoke acoustic-rated sliding door system at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, delivered for main contractor BGS over an eight-week programme. The doors separate McLaren Racing's wind tunnel testing area from the adjoining workshop.

Key facts:

• Client: McLaren Racing, McLaren Technology Centre, Woking

• Main contractor: BGS

• Programme: 8 weeks from design to installation

• Clear opening width: more than 3 metres

• Threshold height: zero, giving a completely flush floor for race cars

• Construction: thermally broken aluminium profiles, acoustic-rated panels, specialist sliding track

• Sealing: drop seals with magnetic latching

• Designed, manufactured and installed in-house by Entec

The wind tunnel generates significant noise during operation, which made communication in neighbouring spaces difficult. McLaren needed to reduce that noise without slowing the movement of people and race cars between the two areas.

The brief set two tight constraints. The doors needed a clear opening width of more than 3 metres, and they could have no threshold of any kind, because even a small step could damage the race cars passing through.

Entec designed, manufactured and installed the system in-house. Thermally broken aluminium profiles and a specialist sliding track allow the doors to span more than 3 metres while staying lightweight. Acoustic-rated panels provide the sound insulation, and drop seals with magnetic latching create a tight seal without a threshold, preserving both acoustic performance and a completely flush floor.

William van der Byl of Entec Access Systems said: "The challenge at McLaren was to stop the noise without getting in the way of the cars. Building the doors in our own workshop meant we could engineer a wide, threshold-free opening that still seals properly, and deliver it within the programme BGS needed."

The project reflects a wider demand from contractors and facilities teams for entrances that solve specific operational problems, from acoustic separation to wider openings for hospital equipment. Entec recently replaced a broken double door at an NHS site in Surrey with a leaf-and-a-half swing doorset, increasing the opening width so staff can move equipment in and out more easily. That project was completed in four weeks.

Entec Access Systems has worked in the industry for more than 20 years, supplying main contractors, glazing and facade specialists and facilities teams across London and the South East. Its in-house fabrication allows typical installations to be completed in as little as four weeks from order, depending on specification and site readiness.

The full McLaren case study is available at entecaccess.co.uk.