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G4 Studios and Offices

Burbank, California, United States

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CHALLENGE. After nearly a decade off the air, G4TV set out to relaunch its network, uniting fans across gaming, comedy and pop culture. To support this revival, Populous partnered with Comcast Spectacor to create a radical new home for the G4 digital and television network office and studio broadcast space. The new G4 headquarters is a revolutionary reimagination and redevelopment of a historic studio building in Burbank, California.

The project began in April 2020 with an ambitious timeline and a commitment to making G4’s brand integrity come alive through design. As the world shut down due to the pandemic, Populous and G4 ramped up to create a home for the next generation of the G4 story.

INNOVATION. From the outset of this adaptive reuse project, Populous Design Build leveraged its design-led design build project delivery model to establish a reliable path forward focused on brand integration, team collaboration and predictable budgets and schedules. Populous ignited its long-time partnership with Shawmut Design and Construction to create a space that blends a 24/7 broadcast studio, multiverse-ready collaborative workplace and professional gaming environment for an industry-defining new building type.

The G4 culture is all about gaming, pop and fandom culture, and the team at Populous translated its forward-thinking design concepts to reimagine these studios as a stand-out facility at the intersection of real estate, broadcast media and gaming.
Joe Marsh / Strategic Advisor, G4

Throughout the life of the project, Populous intentionally dedicated time to deeply understand the G4 market, its dedicated following and its brand. With early and constant team collaboration, Populous was able to provide Shawmut with the details and context around the importance of G4’s brand integrity. This approach also allowed the team to estimate costs more accurately at every phase.

Populous’ design incorporated locations for content-capturing at every turn and included a grandstand that serves as a backdrop for shoots and a bridge that connects the two levels of the mezzanine for a panoramic view of the space. A raw, industrial aesthetic mixes seamlessly with a high-tech ambiance creating a total design package intended to reinvent studio design. Details such as the original wood ceiling come together with the colorful, graphic and bold artwork that includes hidden visual messages to represent the brand, while the sum of the parts creates a studio experience unlike any other.

Two floating conference rooms — replete with sleek styling, neon accents and contemporary color schemes in step with the G4 brand — anchor the space and are visible from multiple vantage points throughout the space. The studios also boast three strategically-placed personal work/game-play pods to add privacy for employees and visitors.

IMPACT. The G4 headquarters is a modern-day example of reinventing existing infrastructure for its highest and best use. It offers an immersive experience for its fans, visitors and staff, with the organization’s brand engrained in every detail from the spatial geometry and the interior colors to the graphic, bold artwork.

This first-of-its-kind facility was made possible as Populous Design Build broke out of the traditional project delivery model to speak with one voice throughout the entirety of the project, decrease production time and increase the design quality of the renovated space — all while working remotely.