Chicago unveils plans for a funhouse-like e-sports arena on the city’s Near South Side.
In a sign of the perpetually growing popularity of gaming, Chicago has unveiled designs for a $30 million,106,000-square-foot professional e-sports arena called Surge. Designed by local architecture and interiors firm KOO, the two-level structure will feature an IMAX-sized screen embedded in the facade and houses an arena with a global broadcasting center, stadium seating, and a stage where gamers will compete and interact with each other using state-of-the-art VR technology. From the promenade, visitors can witness the competitions on the aforementioned 35-by-85-foot vertical screen, which will be equipped with high-quality sound effects to enhance the viewing experience. If approved by the city council, the project will be slated for completion by 2022.