The Force Is Strong
Property Report|October-November 2018

Hong Kong architect and Star Wars fanatic Barrie Ho embraces tech and innovation in projects such as the world’s first dedicated eSports stadium but is careful to integrate traditional tenets such as sustainability and community-mindedness

Rosalind Gibb
The Force Is Strong

People gather at a 20,000-capacity stadium on the banks of the Yangtze River in China. Tensions and excitement rise as the tournament begins, but this is not sport as we know it. There are no athletes or footballers. Instead, professional video gamers are sitting down, practically motionless, battling their hearts out to the deafening roar of crowds watching the animated action on huge screens.

Welcome to the world of eSports, and the custom-built Zhongxian stadium. Opened earlier this year, the gleaming venue seats 7,000 people and features glass walls with LED screens projecting video displays for those gathered outdoors.

“I wanted a design that reflects the energy of these events,” says Barrie Ho, the man behind the stadium, which encompasses futuristic aesthetics, functionality, and cultural references. This is evident in the building’s shape—an inverse yin-yang symbol with wings extending from both sides of the arena, catering to a further 13,000 people on top of those seated inside.

Described as “internet cafes for the next generation,” eSports stadiums, though not long out of the development stage, are forecast to be big business. This is especially true in China, the largest gaming market in the world, with its thriving eSports scene that brought over USD100 million in revenue last year, according to market research firm Newzoo.

Further creating buzz at Zhongxian are the on-site incubators for gaming startups, due to open later this year. Incubation—custom-designed spaces for multiple startups—is something Barrie Ho and his firm, BARRIE HO Architecture (BHA), have been focusing on lately; an integral element of contemporary architecture and advancing economies, but also in its infancy.

Denne historien er fra October-November 2018-utgaven av Property Report.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra October-November 2018-utgaven av Property Report.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA PROPERTY REPORTSe alt
Singapore Starts To Swings
Property Report

Singapore Starts To Swings

Generous stimulus has saved the Lion City’s economy from disaster, and a percolating post-pandemic boom looks set to send the residential sector into overdrive

time-read
8 mins  |
August - September 2021
Natural Highs
Property Report

Natural Highs

With people seeking safe ways of re-engaging with the outside world, the pandemic has steered investment in key ski markets back on-piste

time-read
5 mins  |
August - September 2021
It's In Hua Hin
Property Report

It's In Hua Hin

A long-time favorite of Thai royalty and weekenders travelling from Bangkok, the famous beach town is adding some alluring new strings to its bow

time-read
3 mins  |
August - September 2021
Blues In The Blood
Property Report

Blues In The Blood

As China’s cities explode, its built heritage is often neglected. Hangzhou-based Bluetown Architects aims to redress that balance through its striking but functional work

time-read
6 mins  |
August - September 2021
Little Joy Soldiers
Property Report

Little Joy Soldiers

Real estate sales offices are reopening in Yangon, but banking problems, low confidence and oversupply mean a bleak outlook as the army seeks to entrench rule

time-read
4 mins  |
August - September 2021
Youth Movement
Property Report

Youth Movement

Young members of a storied family shift property development in Cebu forward with a smart, green commercial tower, rising tall above an heirloom estate

time-read
7 mins  |
August - September 2021
Gift From Above
Property Report

Gift From Above

Source Global is tapping into a renewable source— the sky—to supply drinking water to residential communities and commercial properties in Asia

time-read
6 mins  |
August - September 2021
Proptech Is Enhancing Efficiency And Human Experience
Property Report

Proptech Is Enhancing Efficiency And Human Experience

The pandemic has forced the real estate industry into a more meaningful embrace with technology after years of flirting with innovation

time-read
8 mins  |
August - September 2021
Legacy Of Handy, Individualistic Inventions
Property Report

Legacy Of Handy, Individualistic Inventions

The global crisis has caused unprecedented pain, but its extraordinary nature has seen it spawn a legacy of handy, individualistic inventions

time-read
1 min  |
August - September 2021
Wave Of Mutilation
Property Report

Wave Of Mutilation

Lockdown disruption, evolving working conditions and an exodus by offshore gaming operators have sent the vital office space sector in the Philippines into freefall

time-read
7 mins  |
August - September 2021