XArena Motor Sports

Trenton, New Jersey, USA
230,000 SF
Architecture
Interior Architecture

XArena Motor Sports is a new indoor motocross arena prototype. Located on an 11-acre site along New Jersey's Route 1, the XArena is expected to draw both professional and amateur motocross bikers in search of excitement. The 230,000 square-foot facility will feature two large tracks, a pro shop, spectator seating and a restaurant. The design includes space for future expansions to accommodate other extreme sports.

The design transforms an off-the-shelf pre-engineered building system into an architectural expression of the spirit of motocross. The program creates a safe, flexible, low-maintenance building. In order to achieve these objectives, the design team focused on the exterior skin of the building. The splayed exterior tops and bottoms, expressing the compression and extension of a motocross rider. This form also resolved the requirement to insert pit areas along the tracks' perimeters.

At a midpoint along the main east and west walls, the facade is interrupted, revealing the building's internal structure. Dual entrances at these midpoints separate riders from spectators. Beyond these walls, a three-story, conventional steel-framed core overlooks both tracks.

The lower level contains the pro shop and pit areas. There is a spectator mezzanine and an upper level housing a restaurant and nightclub where patrons can dine, drink and view the tracks. Overlooking the tracks are two control towers wrapped in metal cladding. Contrasting the exposed structure of the center core, these elements draw from the juxtaposition between the motocross bike's armature and its mechanics. By capturing the energy of motocross, the architectural design and building program create a new experience in sports entertainment.

The splayed skins at the top and bottom of the building express the compression and extension of a motocross rider. By capturing the energy of motocross, the architectural design and building program create a new experience in sports entertainment."

Copyright and photography – RMJM/Hillier Architecture.