Hanley eSports Arena

One of the last projects second year did was regenerating Hanley City Centre with a catalyst type building with the choice of three different sites. I felt that designing a multi-purpose arena with a focus on eSports would achieve this perfectly. With Hanley being close to Staffordshire University, creating links between the two would benefit both places with Staffs connections with Epic Games making it the top eSports University in the UK.

The basis of my building takes an 'L' shape, naturally creating a dividing space between two axis which I decided would make the arena section of the building more personal and private from the public section which would host pop up stalls, a cafe, public restrooms, offices and VR stations. The arena features two cantilevered seating stands with a 'horse-shoe' shape for optimal viewing angles. The ground arena level is where the stage, additional seating and game stations are located, this is also where less-abled users would be seated making the space function much faster and easier, while giving these users the best seating up close to the stage. The public section features pop up stores, which don't have permanent walls, but instead movable glass panels making it easy for different stores to put up posters / advertisements and making their stall bigger / smaller if needed. This was done as many different events would be hosted here, giving these stores the flexibility of coming and going depending on the event. This design gives of an unfinished aesthetic that blends well with its surroundings in which the buildings structural systems are on show creating a link between how video games are made, starting off bare-bone, to how buildings are made. The arena also features a backdrop of an indoor terrarium made to balance out the heavy aesthetic of electronics and technology, providing a sense of peace and serenity in the hectic times of events. The outside facades also feature LCD screens that wrap around the building as a means of advertisement to fund events or during events these may display what is going on inside. Once again this design is balanced out timber cladding above the screens creating harmony within the buildings aesthetic.