PXL Gaming Center

PXL Gaming Center utilizes the concept of the “Gradient” in the design of its plans, sections, and elevations. This gradient depended on three key ideas: brightness, loudness, and the tangibility of zones. 

Brightness: On one end of the building, natural light is supplied to the basement through a courtyard to provide a brightly lit space underground, in order to accommodate functions such as exhibitions and shops. The ground floor has intermediate lighting serving functions such as lounge areas, and the lobby. It is a transition (buffer) zone. As you move gradually to the other end of the building and in the upward direction, the brightness slowly decreases, to finally reach the dark Gaming Floor (First Floor). It was intended to be a dark zone, best to provide comfort for gamers. With the brightness of the gaming screens, this helps avoid the effect of glare.

Loudness: The volume progressively increases as the building goes higher, from underground to the Gaming Floor. On the lower end where the shops and exhibition are located, it is quieter and more calm. Moving forward and upwards, the volume gradually increases reaching the loud part of the building, which is the gaming sector, where the competition arena is on the farthest end, having the highest volume.

Tangibility: On one end, facilities that are tangible such as shops, where a person leaves with an object in hand (tangible). Whereas on the other end, at the tip, is the Gaming Floor, where a person leaves with only scores on their screen and nothing in hand (intangible).

The overall form of the building is a piece rising from underground, floating on a glass box.  The final form of the building developed as follows:

1. Tilting: The building was tilted to seem like it is rising from the underground, thus emphasizing the movement from calm, relaxed functions to functions of action and excitement.

2. Shaping: The building is shaped according to its functions and zoning of areas and spaces, where the hospitality functions are at the basement, administration and lounge at the ground floor, and the gaming sector at the last floor, completely reserved for gaming activites.

3. Lifting: A glass box was used to lift the cantilevered part of the building, instead of a solid box, to give the building the illusion of floating above the ground.

The building’s façade has a gradual change of texture and contrasts from black, matte, solid concrete to glass which plays a key role in controlling the daylight and the building’s interior brightness. The addition of the angled, gradually dissipating pixels on the façade from the fully solid part to the fully glass part of the elevation, help control the amount of daylight entering the building, therefore achieving the gradient of light inside the building.

The entrance is under an intimidatingly high overhanging slope of the building, which indicates the loudness and excitement of the front region. The surrounding landscape is inspired by the idea of pixels. Each pixel represents a different material/element of landscape design. These squares of pixels function as ponds, tree pots, seating blocks, and tiling of different colors and materials. The landscape pixels are also of different levels and elevations.

The main building material is matte black exposed concrete. This material allows altering between various textures on the façade, as the roughness of the material can be changed gradually. Moreover, it is easy to perforate concrete, which facilitates creating the slanted pixel elements on the façade, which help achieve the different levels of daylight and the gradual change in brightness indoors. Black cool roof paint was utilized on the roof, in order to reduce the cooling loads of the building and save energy consumptions, since the cool roof paint reflects over 90% of the sun’s total energy. Having black colored roof and facades helps in giving the building a sleek and grand matte finish look that contrasts very well with the glass curtain wall, in the ground floor, making it more aesthetically appealing. Furthermore, in the long run, black color helps in reducing the maintenance costs as it does not get dirty easily which is very vital, since the roof is slanting and would get dusty in the events of sandstorms, rain, or fog. Therefore, it would look unappealing as the roof is vital to all those who are outside, visitors, passersby and cars in traffic.