Pushing the Boundaries of the Possible
>Stadium specialist Populous is planning to build large-scale spherical music and entertainment venues for the Madison Square Garden Company on both sides of the Atlantic, in Las Vegas and London. The distinctive venues will be branded MSG Spheres and will “feature an iconic design and will be equipped with game-changing technologies that push the limits of connectivity, acoustics, video, and content distribution”.
MSG has released visuals of the spheres and some data about them. First Sphere, planned for Las Vegas, will have a capacity of 23,000, with 18,000 seats and a further 5,000 standing spaces. MSG Sphere London will be based on the same concept as the arena in Las Vegas. Still in the “early stages” of design, the arena is planned to be built on a site, recently purchased by MSG, near the Olympic Park in Stratford. The venue would be the first international arena for MSG.
London was selected following research carried out by consultancy Sound Diplomacy, which found the city has less large capacity arenas, relative to its population, than other major cities. “London is one of the world’s greatest cities, and we are delighted to be taking this first step towards making it the location for MSG’s first international venue,” said James L Dolan, MSG’s executive chairman and CEO.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, added: “From intimate grassroots music venues to spectacular arenas, London’s buzzing live music scene is world-renowned. It’s great to welcome another world-class venue to the capital, to confirm London’s position as a music powerhouse and to boost still further our city’s thriving night-time economy.”
The MSG Sphere London will be the latest venue by Populous in the UK capital. The architects also designed the nearby Olympic Stadium, recently completed a stand at Lord’s cricket ground, and has designed the new stadium for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Meanwhile, in the USA, the company is designing a football stadium in Miami for David Beckham.
As well as being used for traditional music events, MSG Sphere London is also being designed to host esport events where audiences will be able to participate in the competition and interact with each other. These events could include audiences watching live video-playing competitions.
The exterior of the sphere will be covered in digital screens used to promote artists and brands. Internally the seating bowl will feature a screen that the MSG describes as the “largest and highest resolution media display on Earth”.
“It represents an important milestone in the company’s vision to redefine live entertainment through iconic venues that will feature game-changing technologies and pioneer the next generation of transformative, immersive experiences,” said a statement from MSG.
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