Project Stryker Dublin: The Past and Future of Entertainment

As esports continues to rise in popularity across the globe, Los Angeles-based video game developer, publisher, and esports tournament organizer, Riot Games, was ready to go bigger and bolder.

The corporation launched an ambitious initiative in 2021 called Project Stryker. Its goal was to build Remote Broadcasting Centers (RBCs) in three locations: Asia, Europe (Dublin), and North America (Seattle). These facilities create, broadcast, and distribute international live gaming events and tournaments. They serve a global audience of esports enthusiasts in a variety of languages.

The RBC locations are eight hours apart, allowing each facility to operate a shift before handing off.

This system allows for continuous global coverage. In addition, the studios can support regional competitions and events by linking to their technical infrastructure and central data centers. These connections run at speeds of up to 100 GB per second. Each studio can also produce its own in-house broadcasts.

Dublin is the first of the three Project Stryker locations. According to Des O’Toole, project director for Structure Tone, it already operates around the clock. He says there are nearly 50 workers now, and they expect 75 by the end of Q1.

Riot Games, an industry that feeds on excitement, could not have picked a more fitting site for its Dublin headquarters. The project repurposes the former Wright Venue, a five-story nightclub known for Europe’s largest disco ball.

The design placed a strong emphasis on adaptive reuse in order to capture that innate energy, which also turned out to be a time-efficient and sustainable strategy. To lower the project’s embodied carbon, the program called for repurposing the three-story atrium and preserving the original concrete building shell. The team removed 49,000 square feet of carpet, tiling, wooden flooring, and outdated MEP systems in just 24 weeks. This effort helped create a facility tailored to Riot Games’ unique technical requirements and their goal of becoming the world’s most player-focused gaming company.

Naturally, converting a cherished old nightclub into a cutting-edge production facility wasn’t easy. Among the main difficulties are:

What Do You Do with a 1,500-Pound Disco Ball?

Europe’s largest disco ball, weighing over 1,500 pounds and too large to fit through any doorway, remained on-site throughout construction. The team had to relocate it multiple times to make room for the work. This alone was an impressive logistical feat.

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Strip-Out and Reconfiguration

All flooring and wall finishes were stripped back to expose the concrete structure, creating a rugged “grey box” industrial aesthetic. The team also reconfigured floor layouts, removed outdated stairs, and adjusted slabs to accommodate new elements.

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Acoustic Demands

Because esports broadcasts rely heavily on both visual and audio quality, excellent acoustics were essential. The team constructed walls to meet stringent sound requirements and added surface-mounted acoustic panels. Spray insulation was applied to studio ceilings. In the halls, all plumbing, ventilation ductwork, VRF piping, and cabling were surface-mounted at a high level to avoid crossing through sensitive production control rooms.

In addition, “We had to make sure the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing arrangement would not affect the specialized audio equipment,” O’Toole says. “We also had to consider the acoustical treatments.”

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Upgraded Structural Elements

New windows and balustrades were installed around the atrium overlooking the former dance floor. To lift the heavy panels into place, workers used a spider crane and a massive internal scaffolding system. A new roof was constructed to cover the canteen—previously the club’s smoking area. Meanwhile, the façade required substantial repair to address existing cracks and water infiltration.

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A Facility Built for the Future

Ultimately, Project Stryker combines historical character with future-focused technology. The finished Dublin facility includes six insert studios, six production control rooms, six audio control rooms, and bullpen areas for graphic, stat, and camera teams. A global audience can watch up to six live events simultaneously. In addition to production spaces, the building also houses breakout rooms, a canteen, a wellness center—and of course, the iconic disco ball, now a centerpiece in the atrium.

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Looking Ahead

In the end, both Riot Games and Structure Tone emerged victorious. However, the journey isn’t over. “This was Riot Games’ third fit-out, and we’ve referred them to our Abbott Construction colleagues to work on the next Project Stryker in Seattle,” says O’Toole. “It’s all because of the solid bond we’ve established. A real win-win situation.”

“Our entire team at Riot Games has put a lot of effort into Project Stryker,” says Allyson Gormley, director of global operations. “We’re incredibly proud of this Dublin facility and what it represents as the first of its kind for Riot Games globally. We couldn’t have completed this next-generation project without the collaboration, creativity, and commitment of Structure Tone and our partners. Their contributions were essential to its success.”