Inspired by Frank Gehry’s Vitra Museum as well as the Dancing House in Prague, the main difference between them is colour and the layout. The building wasa designed over the original plans and thus have more or less the similar base shape with the upper parts resized and changed. As the Vitra Museum was already interesting, the Gaming Arcade’s roofs then included different shapes and elements to keep the theme. The plain black exterior walls are to emphasis the colours inside the building. The Vitra Gaming Arcade consist of two main areas; arcade games and laser tag arena. The random shapes and curves of the Vitra Museum has been a great inspiration towards linking the different areas in the building as well as adding levels to increase the complexity and interest of the building.
Within the building are the two main areas; the arcade gaming area and laser tag arena. The gaming area takes up the front space of the building and the laser tag back. The second floor of the gaming area allows for over-looking into the laser tag area. And the restaurant is the cross shape right on top.
The use of glass not only brings light into the building but also enhances colour within as helped with the idea of allowing people inside the building to look on to the different areas. The sloped roof from the museum has inspired me to add in a basketball game area giving a sporty effect when people first enter the building but are then confronted with many computer games.
The main focus on the building was on the exterior as due to it’s use, activity will all be taken place within the building. Due to the Vitra Gaming Arcade mainly catered for younger patrons, the floors will be entirely carpeted except for the restaurant area on top and stairs.
The laser tag walls which connect to the main area is similar to a two way mirror. This allows non-laser tag players to observe the game going on inside while it remains dark in the laser tag arena itself. The material for the wall, floor and ceilings of the laser tag arena will be the same to give the effect of being in a different environment for the players.
The shape of the restaurant is basically from rearranging aspects of the original museum as well as scale. This area will serve as a rest area as well as provide a view of the main building and the surrounding environment. Toilets have also been conveniently located close by on the second floor along with an area to look on to the basketball games while having a rest.
The stairs are a obvious inspiration from the original building. Each set of stairs in the different have their own reasons to be that way, like the one in the laser tag arena, It has been designed that way to add obstacles for that area. Not only are they aesthetically pleasing but the central spiral staircase allows for more than two levels to be connected. By encasing the stairs in glass, the experience during the journey on the stairs may be interesting and also allow the people to see what else is going on in other areas. It is hoped that the light shining on the people on the stairs will provide a sense of refreshment as people inside would have been gaming for quite some time.