Walter & Shirley Fan Wang eSports Room, Columbia University

Columbia University decided it was time to give new life to a seldom-used lounge in Wallach Residence Hall and turn it into a dedicated space for their eSports club and eGaming intramurals division, both rapidly growing student-led communities. They wanted something that captured the dynamic, immersive experience of gaming while also providing space for both team and individual gaming, and all with enough room for infrastructural components like cabling and HVAC. As a solution, Desai Chia Architecture created two independent modules with perforated steel housing.

To unify the space, lighting designer Christina Sciulli used the Nanometer NanoLine Original as a pendant to bridge the space between the two structures. Thanks to Nanometer’s Pixel Control, what would have been an elegant but expected linear pendant instead comes alive with programmable, ever-changing light displays of animated collages. The light of this installation, dubbed the “SHiFT,” is gently reflected by the walls and the satin finish of the steel structures for a fully immersive — but not distracting — experience. What’s more, students can select from a menu of lighting themes to enhance their gaming experience.

By changing the color of the lighting, the mood and energy in the room shifts dramatically, making for an immersive experience.

The perforated stainless steel paneling of the modular structures serves as housing for computer control equipment as well as additional gaming stations while also reflecting the ambient light of the space. It magnifies the affect of the light installation and creates an immersive environment for players.