Team Liquid's Alienware Training Facility EU, Utrecht
Physical and digital architecture converge
The EU headquarters of Team Liquid is situated in the heart of Utrecht. This state-of-the-art training facility seamlessly blends innovative architecture with game design, providing players and fans with a unique, immersive experience. Here, technology, sustainability, and creativity converge to craft an inspiring space for the future of Esports.
Client
Team Liquid
Year
2019 - 2020
Type
Culture
Photos
Teo Krijgsman
Gross floor area
1.004 m2
Collaboration
Co architect • VenhoevenCS • Main contractor: Bouw21 • Interior builder: Stooff Interior Projects • MEP: Van Delft Groep (MP) and Schrijvers Technische Installaties (E)
Address
Moreelsehoek, 3511 GC Utrecht
Team
Lead architect: Dafne Wiegers. Team AHH: Jeroa Amanupunnjo. Team VenhoevenCS: Arjen Zaal, Danny Esselman, Ton Venhoeven, Eliza Mante
The HQ sees two worlds intertwine: players and office staff work in a world of green and comfort, while fans and visitors are entertained by the spectacular world of Team Liquid and their ongoing adventure.
Two worlds
The new Team Liquid training center weaves together two worlds: that of the esports players, focused on performance and training, and that of the fans, who are immersed in the captivating world of gaming.
Celebrate technology!
At Team Liquid, technology is not hidden but celebrated as the heart of a new way of life.
The Fan zone is a compact space that seamlessly adapts to the diverse needs of its visitors. At the heart of the Fan zone is a tiered seating area where fans can gather for watch parties. When the seating is reconfigured, gaming desks emerge, transforming the space into a scrim room, ideal for intense training sessions. The space also serves as a shop where fans can purchase merchandise and immerse themselves in the world of Team Liquid. Lastly, the Fan zone functions as the Alienware Lab, a place where gamers can test their skills and discover if they have what it takes to become the next top player.
Setting a new standard for Esports
The first floor provides room for the state-of-the-art training facility. Next to the scrim rooms, where the athletes train, there is a restaurant that will sustain the players while they prepare for tournaments. The Team Liquid European staff, housed in a transparent and roomy office, are provided with a setting that will surely elevate their operation, and brand, across the world of Esports.
Inspired by game design
This project Is the perfect illustration of how game design and digital art can become new and quintessential sources of inspiration for architects. The architecture here is the epitome of duality: between what is real and what can be imagined and where nothing is what it seems. A mix of serene minimalism and high-tech, edgy gaming aesthetics; an amalgam of functions that normally never combine, like a restaurant with scrim rooms and a gallery with a player lounge. The interior design, unashamedly, celebrates technology. This is not tucked away in walls or ceilings, but highlighted and exposed as ornaments, emphasising that internet and tech now represent a pumping heart, one that supports a way of life. The facility is adventurous — as a well-designed game would be — with a modular and multi-purpose floor plan, utilising sliding walls to offer a flexible and fluid use of space.
This is not tucked away in walls or ceilings, but highlighted and exposed as ornaments, emphasising that internet and tech now represent a pumping heart, one that supports a way of life. The facility is adventurous — as a well-designed game would be — with a modular and multi-purpose floor plan, utilising sliding walls to offer a flexible and fluid use of space.
The public zone on the ground floor is separated from the players and office staff by an impressive, 3 meters high, transparent trophy case that offers a glimpse of the world behind.
Sustainable and healthy workspace
The imaginative use of the interior’s materials also creates an interplay between the real and the imagined, with a daring choice of colours and materials accentuating different spaces and functions. Atmospheres skilfully alternate from chic and dynamic to professional and focused to reflect the function of the space. Black, white, bamboo, blue manes and hexagons are forged into a bold, yet sturdy, mise en scene; while the brand’s identity is represented both explicitly and within hidden easter eggs. By using bio-based and recycled materials, efficient installations, smart acoustics, lighting, and prefab elements, we have created a sustainable, healthy and comfortable workspace for Team Liquid.
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