Populous designs the Qiddiya City Esports Arena, an extraordinary space dedicated to e-sports, designed to create an immersive gaming experience and featuring the largest total video screen area of any Esports arena in the world.
Designed to meet national and international e-sports standards, the Qiddiya City Arena is positioned as the city’s key attraction, a destination all about entertainment, sport and culture, as the city’s slogan ‘Play Life’ summarises.
The Arena is the key element of the Qiddiya Gaming and Esports District. It is the world’s first mixed-use gaming and Esports area and will serve as a catalyst for the industry throughout the Middle East.
The striking design creates an iconic venue capable of adapting to multiple experiences and events. Endowed with a distinctive architectural identity, this 5,155-seat multifunctional facility will offer the ultimate experience for both players and spectators.
In fact, extensive studies have been conducted to optimise the seating arrangement in the main auditorium by optimising the visuals, parametric design tools have perfected the positions of the screens, and an innovative ‘digital chandelier’ has been designed over the bowl of the auditorium, allowing for an optimal experience of the gaming content.
There are also 4D tactile seats where visitors can feel, experience and even smell their virtual actions.
The entrance area has been carefully designed, with two corridors wrapping around the seating bowl, to offer design and services. These include a centralised play area with breakout areas, a food ‘souk’, shops and entertainment.
Many of these spaces are designed to be operational at events as well as every day, thus increasing the operability of the arena and its integration into the life of the community.
Great attention is paid to the design of the behind-the-scenes and event production areas, making this venue a popular choice for fans as well as brands, athletes and promoters.
Shireen Hamdan, Senior Principal and General Manager of Populous KSA, comments: “The Qiddiya City Esports Arena is state-of-the-art esports facility, and will be a central point of this incredible global gaming hub, fully representing the ‘Play Life’ spirit of Qiddiya“.
Rhys Courtney, Senior Principal of Populous EMEA, adds: “We are proud to have combined our extensive knowledge of esports facilities and technology with Qiddiya’s vision to create a world-leading arena for competitors and fans alike. This arena will be unique in esports in both scale and user experience”.
For more information visit www-populous.com.
