eSports continue to prove they are not just a fad like boy bands or furbies. They are here to stay. If their explosive growth over the past few years wasn’t enough to prove this, we now have more evidence in the Populous-designed Fusion Arena, the first new-construction, purpose-built eSports arena in the Western Hemisphere.
The $50 million-facility will be built in the heart of the Philadelphia Sports Complex. It will have the ability to seat 3,500 people and will be the home of the Philadelphia Fusion eSports franchise, one of 20 international teams competing in the Overwatch league.
Courtesy Populous.
See Also: The largest eSports stadium in North America opens in Arlington, Texas
The arena will feature 60,000 sf of new construction that will begin this summer. The technologically-advanced arena will include a variety of seating options such as two balcony bars, club seats with USB ports, flexible large boxes, and exclusive suites. Nearly 10,000 sf will be dedicated to a training facility, broadcast studio, and team offices.
Courtesy Populous.
The arena’s exterior will feature a dynamic skin that draws its inspiration from gaming hardware. A 6,000-sf public entry will greet guests and will include 2,000 sf of interactive media surface hovering 30 feet in the air. Industrial materials are incorporated throughout to pay homage to Philadelphia’s heritage as “the workshop of the world.”
The project is slated to open in early 2021.
Related Stories
| May 20, 2014
Kinetic Architecture: New book explores innovations in active façades
The book, co-authored by Arup's Russell Fortmeyer, illustrates the various ways architects, consultants, and engineers approach energy and comfort by manipulating air, water, and light through the layers of passive and active building envelope systems.
| May 19, 2014
What can architects learn from nature’s 3.8 billion years of experience?
In a new report, HOK and Biomimicry 3.8 partnered to study how lessons from the temperate broadleaf forest biome, which houses many of the world’s largest population centers, can inform the design of the built environment.
| May 16, 2014
Toyo Ito leads petition to scrap Zaha Hadid's 2020 Olympic Stadium project
Ito and other Japanese architects cite excessive costs, massive size, and the project's potentially negative impact on surrounding public spaces as reasons for nixing Hadid's plan.
| May 13, 2014
First look: Nadel's $1.5 billion Dalian, China, Sports Center
In addition to five major sports venues, the Dalian Sports Center includes a 30-story, 440-room, 5-star Kempinski full-service hotel and conference center and a 40,500-square-meter athletes’ training facility and office building.
| May 13, 2014
19 industry groups team to promote resilient planning and building materials
The industry associations, with more than 700,000 members generating almost $1 trillion in GDP, have issued a joint statement on resilience, pushing design and building solutions for disaster mitigation.
| May 11, 2014
Final call for entries: 2014 Giants 300 survey
BD+C's 2014 Giants 300 survey forms are due Wednesday, May 21. Survey results will be published in our July 2014 issue. The annual Giants 300 Report ranks the top AEC firms in commercial construction, by revenue.
| May 8, 2014
Sporting events in style: Infographic showcases novel stadiums of the world
UK precast concrete maker Banagher, which specializes in precast stadia solutions, has assembled a list of the world's top stadiums in terms of architectural and structural design.
| May 1, 2014
Super BIM: 7 award-winning BIM/VDC-driven projects
Thom Mayne's Perot Museum of Nature and Science and Anaheim's new intermodal center are among the 2014 AIA TAP BIM Award winners.
| Apr 29, 2014
Best of Canada: 12 projects nab nation's top architectural prize [slideshow]
The conversion of a Mies van der Rohe-designed gas station and North Vancouver City Hall are among the recently completed projects to win the 2014 Governor General's Medal in Architecture.
| Apr 29, 2014
USGBC launches real-time green building data dashboard
The online data visualization resource highlights green building data for each state and Washington, D.C.