Located on Chance Street, a stone’s throw from Shoreditch High Street station, the building began its life as a Synagogue before being repurposed as a studio and home for Young British Artist (YBA) Rachel Whiteread, whose signature concrete staircase still sits proudly on the first floor. The brief was to adapt the space to be accessible for all, modernise its current aesthetic and embody a high-tech, youthful energy.

Esports players are treated like athletes, with nutrition, mental health, and physical wellbeing at the heart of their practice, and the space needed to reflect and support them. To do this, we reconfigured the internal architecture to incorporate a wide range of exciting spaces, including breakout and streaming rooms, a pro lounge, think tank, apparel studio, gym, physio and counselling spaces, board rooms, lifts and a space for merch.

The ground floor features a branded reception area, complete with interchangeable black mesh screens to act as not only a design feature but also for safeguarding when children are occupying the space. This open plan space is the heart of the HQ and is complete with a neutral kitchen, foosball, booths in the signature Guild brand colours and a long table with benches for eating, working and collaborating.

The pro lounge, with its soft seating, an epic-sized screen, vintage arcade machines and all the games consoles you could ever need, sits on the first floor, as well as several training rooms with interchangeable lighting to fit the session's mood and function. The gym is also located on this level, specifically designed to look after the gamer’s physical needs. It features Peloton equipment to keep players physically active, as well as Hyperice technology for recovery, mobility and improved performance of muscles and joints.

The third and final floor is home to the Guild team and features a large open plan work and collaboration space which overlooks the roof terrace with views of the city. Smaller zoom booths and larger meeting and conference spaces sit on this level with sophisticated tech and window vinyls to not only offer privacy but a stained-glass effect of the Guild brand colours when the sun beams down.

The Guild Academy and HQ is the first of their kind in the world, and the vision of developing the esports stars of tomorrow starts today. We blended futuristic modernity with the industrial bones of the building and added Guild's own unique vibe to create a space that would truly inspire and support the individuals who will use this space, both now and in the future.