Las Vegas—a dazzling city that loves to script new records—is now home to the world’s largest spherical structure: MSG Sphere. The gigantic 366 ft tall and 516 ft wide orb will reportedly host a wide spectrum of gigs, ranging from live music to sporting events, in upcoming months. The expansive undertaking comes with a capacity to accommodate as many as 18,600 people inside its premise.
The Sphere was illuminated for the first time on the 4th of July to commemorate American Independence Day. Settled in the middle of a busy street just a block away from the much-famed Las Vegas Strip, and against the backdrop of a Giant Ferris wheel and skyscrapers, the architecture is a technological marvel. Once the night settles in sin city, the structure mimics the colours of the earth itself.
The rock group U2 has been zeroed in to kick off the first show at this venue in September. Up until now, artists often performed in sporting stadiums to attract large crowds. However, The Sphere, with its immersive sound and lighting system, is primarily built for cinema, music, or other visual art performances.
Sprawling across 160,000 sq feet, the arena is embellished with a whopping 16k LED screens and over 1.2 million puck-sized LEDs, offering a heightened audio-visual experience. There’s unique infrasound haptic system installed beneath the floor, which will reportedly transmit sound waves directly under the feet. Added to that, as many as 160, 000 speakers are installed in every nook and corner of this arena, ensuring that the seating arrangement doesn’t not affect the quality of the sound.
“It’s absolutely stunning to look up and see what’s in front of you,” says Rich Claffey, Sphere’s chief operations officer, adding, “I’ve been in the entertainment business for almost 40 years. I’ve never seen anything like this, and I’m not exaggerating. It is off the charts.”
Who Designed MSG Sphere?
The entertainment venue is designed by Populous, an architectural behemoth that specialises in making state-of-art stadiums, most notably Tottenham Hotspurs’ new home ground. They have also been involved in creating an entire event ecosystem at the Olympic Games since 1996 and Super Bowl since 1985.
Populous is also credited for popularising the concept of ballparks, having built 20 Major League Baseball (MLB) ballparks, including the famous CITI Field and Oracle Park. They also designed the world’s largest cricket stadium by seating capacity in Ahmedabad, the Narendra Modi Stadium.
