Populous, the designer of the world's largest spherical structure, the Sphere, has revealed plans for a new esports arena. Boasting the largest total area of video screens of any esports arena in the world, the building will anchor a new esports district in Saudi Arabia's massive leisure-focused Quiddiya giga-project.
The Qiddiya City Esports Arena will take the form of six separate sections, with a glazed exterior enlivened by vibrant neon lighting reminiscent of the kind of custom PC builds that many esport competitors and spectators will be familiar with.
The interior of the arena will have a capacity of 5,155 and feature a high-tech seating system that sounds similar to the one installed in the Sphere. The so-called "4D" haptic tech promises to enable visitors to sense, feel and even smell the action taking place in front of them.
Its massive LED screen system, meanwhile, will be situated centrally and measure 3,600 sq m (almost 39,000 sq ft). Restaurants and other food facilities will also be a focus, though we've no word yet on when it's expected to be completed.
"The general admission experience is carefully crafted, with two concourses wrapping around the seating bowl, offering unique designs and functions," explained Populous. "These include a centralized arcade with breakout zones for gaming, a food 'souk,' retail and an immersive entertainment zone. This design ambition extends to the food and beverage offering, providing variety and choice through diverse typologies such as self-checkout markets and gaming bars. Many of these spaces can be operated prior to an event or fully on non-event days, with access from the podium, which increases the operation of the venue and its integration into the community."
The Quiddya development that the arena is part of is one of the biggest construction projects currently underway in Saudi Arabia as its leaders attempt to pivot from an oil-based economy to one driven by tourism. The Siranna hexagonal hotel was also recently announced for it, while the 170-km-long Line is another major focus elsewhere in the country.
Source: Populous