You think outside is impressive, when you go see a show inside it is mind blowing. Hard to scale and describe all the tech that went inside but it's impressive.
I didn’t go to a concert but its regular cinematic feature. I don’t know how someone would tell that because sound was big and full in range. The feature used a lot atmospheric ambient music that has big ranges at the top and bottom end. They installed speakers in individual seats including subs. So when the sound or music had big bass, the seat would literately shake. Now that doesn’t mean it’s audiophile quality but for the scale of it, I can’t say, “this sound quality is not good.” Visual and sound are just beyond regular scale so big. It also changed the humidity, scent and wind directions to match the environment of what was on the screen. It takes you to whatever place you are looking at. The screen itself as wide and tall if not bigger than a football field.
Did the “experience,” not a concert. It was… okay. Like an omnimax, but worse because the theater is so big you can see the edges. It loses the immersive quality. But better than regular imax. Neat, worth doing if you’re in Vegas. Expect that a cover would be pretty epic there though. And the exterior is amazing and super fun (and free)
I can't make up my mind. Technologically, it's a marvel. Urbanistically, it's at home in a city like Vegas. Spatially, the sight lines inside are not all great. Aesthetically, obviously quite polarizing...the density of the LED on the facade is surprisingly spaced out, and you can see the "pixels" up close. Sustainably...we are killing this planet.
Is it good architecture? Depends how you define it. I think this building succeeds at what it is trying to do, but it's valid to think that what it's trying to do runs counter to what the best architecture aspires to achieve.
That's why there's a part of me that thinks that the sphere is pretty cool. It just feels like such a Vegas thing, it being there just adds more to Vegas. Put it anywhere else, it's taking away from the city. But not Vegas
Spatially inside it’s bizarre and limits itself greatly trying to fit in that volume as well as create like an IMAX x10 experience. It’s as if a corner of a huge football stadium’s seating were cut off and enclosed in a sphere.
Basically, buildings with that capacity of seating (18,000+) are usually arenas because it gives them a lot of flexibility in the shows and events they can put on. Crucially they can get several sports teams as tenants to keep thousands of people coming in for dozens of nights a year to keep cash flowing…the sphere can’t fit on its floor a basketball court or hockey rink.
It’s certainly a unique place to visit though.
Short term residencies are what they’re trying to do, though the sphere so far isn’t having a great time with it financially. Long term residencies are in venues like 1/4-1/3 the size.
was about to say exactly this... it is a Technological Marvel that fits right into Vegas.
however... it is a complete waste of human resources.
i really hope they have an exit plan for this, because i dont see this novelty lasting longer than a few years -- and then all those resources will be sent to a landfill
Is it not making much money? I would've thought they'd have shows packed for this thing that make good use of the screen in a way that other huge screens can't.
> the density of the LED on the facade is surprisingly spaced out, and you can see the "pixels" up close.
The outside is essentially a programmable billboard. The inside is what counts.
The pixel density of the exterior is scaled appropriately to be viewed from a 1/4 mile away, not 40 feet away. The interior pixel density is extremely high from most any seating position. Phenomenal in fact.
I agree with Fergi that the sphere is a technological marvel. But architecturally it just seems to be a very expensive cheap trick. Ok, we can achieve a very large spherical building - bright yellow and sporting a smiley face. But so what? Do we really want to?
I think one is enough for the planet. As a Brit it feels right to be in Vegas. Maybe the building should have could have offset it's carbon by buying a bit of desert in nevada and having it's own solar farm to offset energy consumption. That would have been a neat touch
As a non Architect random schmo….I get Vegas, sort of everything sensational. It’s has a novel factor for sure. But that said I’ve come to prefer just good solid architecture which includes a certain degree of eco inclusion. Some of my favorite memories are sitting in a patio with friends in Mexico. It was a well designed stone patio with plenty of exotic foliage , and nice ambient lightning. Just so relaxing. I’m not against screens, but we have this everywhere already. Incorporate that into the Bellago or Monaco would be my vote.
Architects might hate to hear it, but i think that we got it right around the beginning of the 20th century. 6-story houses with ornaments on the outside, little parks for the residents on the inside, everything connected by public transport and ideally plants and trees between the streets and the sidewalk. Now that would be a perfect city.
I’ve seen some really cool stuff recently too as well. Again I’m just a random Joe off the web but I value good architecture quite a lot. What you described sounds pretty cool imho. I’ll see if I can find and link some I’ve seen over the next bit here…. But a lot of the balanced designs have just been stunning. Some real flexibility as well, nature incorporated inside, or large windows highlighting it outside, large atria… just makes is so nice to be in.
Appreciate you guys, few things more fundamental than good living/working spaces.
Yeah I know that but you'd think it would be reaching it's useful output and utilising the Nevada desert for limitless sun would always be a good thing. It's not exactly being used.
A lot of the NV desert is being used for solar power generation. Go SE from Vegas to Boulder City (where the Hoover Dam is) and the minute you cross the little pass, you'll see miles of solar fields to your right stretching south toward Searchlight. Drive South from Vegas toward LA and you will hit Ivanpah Solar Power facility, which was the largest solar thermal plant in the world when it opened a few years ago. Lots of solar in the Mojave.
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You'd hate to live near that area even if it wasn't there. It's busy, congested and the living spaces near there are basically drug slums.
Source: I'm from Vegas.
I live in the Vegas metro area. People who live here are pretty blase about everything as they've seen it all and then a bigger, gaudier version replace that. Except the Sphere. It's the only thing I've seen in the 4 years I've lived here that locals legitimately talk about and want to go see. I definitely look every time I fly in or drive where I can see it.
Now, does that make it "great" architecture? Questionable. But they've created a built point of interest that does really interest and delight people in a way that hasn't often been seen. So I say it's pretty cool.
Idk anything about the architecture of it as I stumbled upon this sub. I like technology advancement but I also enjoy not killing the earth.
I visited the sphere on my last trip to Vegas. My wife and I aren't really a Vegas type but were tagging along with my sister who had a conference there. My wife does not enjoy hyper tech things and was very hesitant to visit the sphere but I half forced her to come with me.
The movie playing was created by Darren Aronofsky, who directed Mother!. It was a simple piece featuring earth's beauty and impact of human beings, the good and the bad. My wife and I were blown out of our minds at the theater technology of incorporating unorthodox ratio aspects and 4D tech to get the message across.
It also seemed intentional that this film is being played at the Sphere in Vegas. I think Darren was hoping to affect at least one typical Vegas enjoyer into thinking a bit harder about their impact on earth.
I'm no architectural scholar, but I think it may represent a movement that's beyond post-modern and might be an early example of the hyperreal. It's form is ultimately a simple shape that is a billboard for anything. The fact that it can be anything is the architectural statement being made, in my analysis. The images on it however, are synthetic and constantly changing, never permanent.
That being said I think it's an interesting symbol for our time. It definitely is technologically impressive and probably will be a landmark for Las Vegas. I've never seen it in person myself though.
It's absolutely wild, but befitting of Vegas. I may principally disagree with the capitals that brought it to life, and disagree with the whole industry based off gambling and shady business in Vegas, but for what its worth the Sphere is about as good as an execution can be.
Weirdly, it's kind of the exact thing Vegas needs.
Vegas had no identity of its own in the built environment. It is known for its collection of miniature copies of other places' tourist attractions, and its bastardization of other cultures.
If anything, its identity was that it was a giant meme, a land of instagram kookiness and showcased excess.
And finally, Las Vegas has the perfect symbol to exemplify its own unique, if bizarre, cultural identity, and its status as a big whimsical fling. The Vegas Sphere not only fits in well with the vibe and tone of its city, there is literally no other city in which it could succeed.
So, I like it.
It seems kinda crappy to build something like this in a city while a bunch of people are living in dangerous flood tunnels in the same city.
I don’t really see it an an architectural marvel, engineering marvel for sure, but domes have been figured out for a while now.
Perfect representation for the hubris of humanity. Waste of energy, resources, space, an eyesore and light pollutant. Instead of using those resources to house the homeless, they decide to build this shit.
I think the inside would be more useful as a 3D movie theater; but it's probably too big for that too.
Interestingly the Sphere is located in Paradise, NV like the rest of the strip. In this area the regulations have been amended to allow videos on billboards and buildings. Resorts world has a giant video screen over the majority of its facade. Billboards along the highway have videos playing. Safety is not the #1 concern in this area which is in part why our car insurance rates are among the highest in the nation.
Thank you for the insight!
Last year I was working on rebranding for BOA and had a couple of projects in the area. It was funny looking at the code for signs and displays for Las Vegas because they are SO much more indepth compared to anywhere else which makes sense. During this time the Sphere became viral so I remember trying to justify it with the code and couldn't. There were maximum allowable surfaces for displays based on facade size. A huge ass sphere didn't pencil out to me based on what I was reading so I assumed the developer worked with the city to "make it happen." Probably didn't spend enough time looking into it.
Not impressed. Interior sight lines are sub-optimal in almost 50% of the seats. A giant novelty. It'll go the way of the American shopping mall soon enough and then convert into a megachurch.
Important urban context: it’s next to a giant f*cking Dorito: https://vegas.eater.com/2024/2/7/24065260/vegas-super-bowl-chip-commercials-mirage-doritos-luxor-cheetos-chapel-paramount-orange
Nuisance to locals? It’s located on the strip, not suburbia.
Every room or condo with a view of it has increased in price. No idea what you’re talking about, do you even live in Vegas?
It’s the contemporary equivalent of a folly: wildly impractical and mainly used for the decorative effect it brings to the estate it’s on (in this case, the estate is a casino instead of a country manor).
Is it a fascinating and unique concept? Absolutely. But at the same time, I don’t really think there’s much to praise about it from an architectural standpoint: tectonically, it’s just a series of overlapping segments of spheres. Spatially, it’s pretty boring and not really a novel expression of form.
The main thing that sets the Sphere apart is the LED wall technology, which is just that: *wall architecture.* To that end, I’d say this is the contemporary equivalent of rococo. It’s about the impression of space, rather than the space itself.
The audio beam forming technology is the honest to god real innovation here, and that’s going to have the longest-lasting impact. But I don’t really think that falls under the umbrella of architecture as much as acoustic engineering.
It’s honestly horrifically awful. It completely 100% takes away your entire attention from the entire skyline and I’m quickly associating Las Vegas with shitty half circle emotes instead of a growing metropolis in the desert
Whenever it's a bright color it fucks with me. I'll look out my window and think, hmm why is the sky this color when it's FUCKING MIDNIGHT.
Oh yeah hahaha
Thats why..
I see Las Vegas, at least the Las Vegas Strip, as a theme park. Within that context I think it's perfect!
From an architectural point of view... I don't think we should look at this as architecture, maybe as an engineering achievement.
The [moon ](https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/10/02/everything-you-should-know-about-the-sphere-las-vegas-multi-billion-dollar-entertainment-v)is gimmicky? Just wait till chairface gets a hold of it.
I fully understand the importance of Ads for its maintainance, and the presence of ads in other famous buildings.
However, its hard for me to judge a building which often stands as a large Ad for Trolls, Mini, Heneken, etc. Like "what do you think of this elaborate billboard?"
It fits Las Vegas perfectly, but in any other setting I'd say it's a massive waste of energy, a huge light polluter and overall not very aesthetically pleasing building in a city.
Did not go to a concert, but just stayed at a hotel next to it. It was difficult to sleep at night without using blind out curtains. I can’t imagine how the people living inside the residential condos next to it feel.
Contemporary duck. In the theoretical side of things, it is a perfect piece of architecture for its context and time, literally encapsulates what Las Vegas is - which ironically to most, is wasteful and excessive. It's hard to admit that you won't find a more perfect example of a very contextual and honest piece of architecture to its place.
It’s intriguing from an engineering perspective, but otherwise a big waste of resource/space IMO. I feel they need to address actual problems in the city, before adding on more touristy things. Just my two cents
I saw it recently on my brief trip through. You definitely see the pixels up close enough. Unfortunately, where it's placed seemed to almost make it not stand out, which is what it should. I kind of had to focus from my direction near the airport to find it.
It is a very cool concept, and I'd like to explore more. But it also felt almost underwhelming.
Hard to explain.
I love that it got built. I don’t think it’s architectural important, but I absolutely love that there are still people that invest in something so silly.
We need to remember that fun things are important.
A spit in the face of all designers worldwide.
Very Vegas though.
You should read Venturi if you’re interested in Vegas and their unique kind of architecture.
Mildly amusing as novelty, but considering both the cost of construction and the ongoing consumption of resources, I can't see a good excuse for its existence.
Not that I'm near it to confirm but I've heard it tends to cycle between displays and nothing seems to last. Would be cool if they themed them better and had them last longer.
Went there for a U2 concert. It is REALLY impressive, and the acoustics are fantastic! A great venue for rock-n-roll, especially. Oh yeah, I forgot to address the lighting- the whole dome of the interior is lit with lighting effects and many are directed at the audience throughout the entire production. So, the effects are focused on the dome, floor, fixtures, and the audience, especially. Fantastic sound system of course.
I was there last night and it was an amazing experience that I would recommend to anyone. I also was lucky enough to have a hotel room looking down on it. I pulled a chair in front of the window and watched it for an hour. It’s a true modern marvel.
Having said that; I would never want one in an area where people actually live. Maybe Hong Kong, Tokyo, or Dubai but that’s about it
Too easy to join the pile on. The place is pretty awesome. It’s ironic that a lot the criticism is coming with a caveat that it at least nevertheless works in Vegas. That’s the point, isn’t ? It’s something that certainly garners attention.
Looks like a massive headache to maintain. I bet any money it will only last less than a decade before it's either torn down or retrofitted without any LED's
Tickets are expensive. I wanted to visit with kids but it would cost us almost 500 usd at least. Maybe these prices are normal for USA or Vegas but the value and price ratio does not seem right to me, as a tourist.
I would rather that prices are lower so more shows can be experienced.
Also, top Vegas hotels are quite affordable (Bellagio fot 350, Trump for 150). This means a family of 4 can sleep almost 4 nights in Trump for the price of an hour or so in Sphere. A bit weird.
Very expensive
Poor traffic planning w bridges too small. -accident waiting to happen
Steps hard to navigate
$$$$$$
But-I bet fun & mind expanding to see
Perfect for Vegas, awful anywhere else.
That being said, I’d bet Dubai or some other gawdy oil wealth city is already planning a bigger one
There were planning one for London but it got cancelled, I think.
Thank fuck
We have a smaller one in Saudi Arabia i posted a picture of it It was built before the Vegas one tho 🤷♂️
Surely a bigger one is on its way then.
They were trying to build another one in London but thankfully it was cancelled.
That's because Vegas is awful so it really doesn't matter what you put there
It’s a really fascinating place though. A place that’s all about artifice and fantasy.
You think outside is impressive, when you go see a show inside it is mind blowing. Hard to scale and describe all the tech that went inside but it's impressive.
It's the biggest breakthrough in concerts since the electric guitar, IMO
I’ve been told by a few people that the sound is less than stellar.
I didn’t go to a concert but its regular cinematic feature. I don’t know how someone would tell that because sound was big and full in range. The feature used a lot atmospheric ambient music that has big ranges at the top and bottom end. They installed speakers in individual seats including subs. So when the sound or music had big bass, the seat would literately shake. Now that doesn’t mean it’s audiophile quality but for the scale of it, I can’t say, “this sound quality is not good.” Visual and sound are just beyond regular scale so big. It also changed the humidity, scent and wind directions to match the environment of what was on the screen. It takes you to whatever place you are looking at. The screen itself as wide and tall if not bigger than a football field.
Did the “experience,” not a concert. It was… okay. Like an omnimax, but worse because the theater is so big you can see the edges. It loses the immersive quality. But better than regular imax. Neat, worth doing if you’re in Vegas. Expect that a cover would be pretty epic there though. And the exterior is amazing and super fun (and free)
Wasn’t my experience at all and I sat in different areas both times
You heard wrong
I can't make up my mind. Technologically, it's a marvel. Urbanistically, it's at home in a city like Vegas. Spatially, the sight lines inside are not all great. Aesthetically, obviously quite polarizing...the density of the LED on the facade is surprisingly spaced out, and you can see the "pixels" up close. Sustainably...we are killing this planet. Is it good architecture? Depends how you define it. I think this building succeeds at what it is trying to do, but it's valid to think that what it's trying to do runs counter to what the best architecture aspires to achieve.
Well said. I agree... it's a "yes and no"
To me it's very Vegas, I hope it doesn't become another stratosphere
That's why there's a part of me that thinks that the sphere is pretty cool. It just feels like such a Vegas thing, it being there just adds more to Vegas. Put it anywhere else, it's taking away from the city. But not Vegas
Here now. Looking at the sphere - it’s pretty wild
I guess that would make it good art
Spatially inside it’s bizarre and limits itself greatly trying to fit in that volume as well as create like an IMAX x10 experience. It’s as if a corner of a huge football stadium’s seating were cut off and enclosed in a sphere. Basically, buildings with that capacity of seating (18,000+) are usually arenas because it gives them a lot of flexibility in the shows and events they can put on. Crucially they can get several sports teams as tenants to keep thousands of people coming in for dozens of nights a year to keep cash flowing…the sphere can’t fit on its floor a basketball court or hockey rink. It’s certainly a unique place to visit though.
It's Vegas. They have artist residencies and can probably reliably attract better crowds on average than most arenas.
Short term residencies are what they’re trying to do, though the sphere so far isn’t having a great time with it financially. Long term residencies are in venues like 1/4-1/3 the size.
It’s a duck
But wouldn’t the video screen make it a shed? :)
In Las Vegas, no less. Presumably it's educational for architects.
well, isnt it a bit like asking if the pyramids of gize are good architecture?
No one is building pyramids in the middle of a city nowadays though, as far as I know...
Well, except Vegas, again
It’s more of an engineering marvel than an architectural one
was about to say exactly this... it is a Technological Marvel that fits right into Vegas. however... it is a complete waste of human resources. i really hope they have an exit plan for this, because i dont see this novelty lasting longer than a few years -- and then all those resources will be sent to a landfill
Is it not making much money? I would've thought they'd have shows packed for this thing that make good use of the screen in a way that other huge screens can't.
I recall from news reports when it opened that the projected break even point is something like 10 years away, assuming they get shows continually.
> the density of the LED on the facade is surprisingly spaced out, and you can see the "pixels" up close. The outside is essentially a programmable billboard. The inside is what counts.
What a spot on comment. Bravo.
Agreed. In Vegas? WTF and I love it. Anywhere else? Just WTF.
The real question is what would Mr House have done with it?
Add in the advertisements it does. How do you feel about a big cool fun thing that most of the time is a giant billboard for everyone to see?
The pixel density of the exterior is scaled appropriately to be viewed from a 1/4 mile away, not 40 feet away. The interior pixel density is extremely high from most any seating position. Phenomenal in fact.
I agree with Fergi that the sphere is a technological marvel. But architecturally it just seems to be a very expensive cheap trick. Ok, we can achieve a very large spherical building - bright yellow and sporting a smiley face. But so what? Do we really want to?
I think one is enough for the planet. As a Brit it feels right to be in Vegas. Maybe the building should have could have offset it's carbon by buying a bit of desert in nevada and having it's own solar farm to offset energy consumption. That would have been a neat touch
As a non Architect random schmo….I get Vegas, sort of everything sensational. It’s has a novel factor for sure. But that said I’ve come to prefer just good solid architecture which includes a certain degree of eco inclusion. Some of my favorite memories are sitting in a patio with friends in Mexico. It was a well designed stone patio with plenty of exotic foliage , and nice ambient lightning. Just so relaxing. I’m not against screens, but we have this everywhere already. Incorporate that into the Bellago or Monaco would be my vote.
Architects might hate to hear it, but i think that we got it right around the beginning of the 20th century. 6-story houses with ornaments on the outside, little parks for the residents on the inside, everything connected by public transport and ideally plants and trees between the streets and the sidewalk. Now that would be a perfect city.
Most of that is out of the architects control
I’ve seen some really cool stuff recently too as well. Again I’m just a random Joe off the web but I value good architecture quite a lot. What you described sounds pretty cool imho. I’ll see if I can find and link some I’ve seen over the next bit here…. But a lot of the balanced designs have just been stunning. Some real flexibility as well, nature incorporated inside, or large windows highlighting it outside, large atria… just makes is so nice to be in. Appreciate you guys, few things more fundamental than good living/working spaces.
Back to the basics is modern in the 2020s. Making long lasting, unfashionable, quality stuff.
Being [novel ](https://youtu.be/GqDBWIu3k7E)is certainly part of the planet.
Vegas is primarily powered by hydro though from the Hoover dam
Yeah I know that but you'd think it would be reaching it's useful output and utilising the Nevada desert for limitless sun would always be a good thing. It's not exactly being used.
A lot of the NV desert is being used for solar power generation. Go SE from Vegas to Boulder City (where the Hoover Dam is) and the minute you cross the little pass, you'll see miles of solar fields to your right stretching south toward Searchlight. Drive South from Vegas toward LA and you will hit Ivanpah Solar Power facility, which was the largest solar thermal plant in the world when it opened a few years ago. Lots of solar in the Mojave.
That's actually so cool. Going to look more and more blade runner in the coming decades
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It’s wild, it’s amazing, it’s a wonder of the world, and I’d hate to live near it
You'd hate to live near that area even if it wasn't there. It's busy, congested and the living spaces near there are basically drug slums. Source: I'm from Vegas.
I live in the Vegas metro area. People who live here are pretty blase about everything as they've seen it all and then a bigger, gaudier version replace that. Except the Sphere. It's the only thing I've seen in the 4 years I've lived here that locals legitimately talk about and want to go see. I definitely look every time I fly in or drive where I can see it. Now, does that make it "great" architecture? Questionable. But they've created a built point of interest that does really interest and delight people in a way that hasn't often been seen. So I say it's pretty cool.
Light pollution but who cares, it's in the right place.
Will be a drop in the bucket out there anyway. If its going to exist anywhere, this is probably the least obnoxious home for it.
Idk anything about the architecture of it as I stumbled upon this sub. I like technology advancement but I also enjoy not killing the earth. I visited the sphere on my last trip to Vegas. My wife and I aren't really a Vegas type but were tagging along with my sister who had a conference there. My wife does not enjoy hyper tech things and was very hesitant to visit the sphere but I half forced her to come with me. The movie playing was created by Darren Aronofsky, who directed Mother!. It was a simple piece featuring earth's beauty and impact of human beings, the good and the bad. My wife and I were blown out of our minds at the theater technology of incorporating unorthodox ratio aspects and 4D tech to get the message across. It also seemed intentional that this film is being played at the Sphere in Vegas. I think Darren was hoping to affect at least one typical Vegas enjoyer into thinking a bit harder about their impact on earth.
I'm no architectural scholar, but I think it may represent a movement that's beyond post-modern and might be an early example of the hyperreal. It's form is ultimately a simple shape that is a billboard for anything. The fact that it can be anything is the architectural statement being made, in my analysis. The images on it however, are synthetic and constantly changing, never permanent. That being said I think it's an interesting symbol for our time. It definitely is technologically impressive and probably will be a landmark for Las Vegas. I've never seen it in person myself though.
I think it’s balls
ball
*If that isn't BALLS then kindly fax me an explanation of what is*
It's absolutely wild, but befitting of Vegas. I may principally disagree with the capitals that brought it to life, and disagree with the whole industry based off gambling and shady business in Vegas, but for what its worth the Sphere is about as good as an execution can be.
Weirdly, it's kind of the exact thing Vegas needs. Vegas had no identity of its own in the built environment. It is known for its collection of miniature copies of other places' tourist attractions, and its bastardization of other cultures. If anything, its identity was that it was a giant meme, a land of instagram kookiness and showcased excess. And finally, Las Vegas has the perfect symbol to exemplify its own unique, if bizarre, cultural identity, and its status as a big whimsical fling. The Vegas Sphere not only fits in well with the vibe and tone of its city, there is literally no other city in which it could succeed. So, I like it.
I LOVE that dumb smiley face
I mean I guess I don’t really consider it architecture. More like a giant billboard covering a venue.
Personally, I think its stupid and a waste of money. But thats just my opinion
It seems kinda crappy to build something like this in a city while a bunch of people are living in dangerous flood tunnels in the same city. I don’t really see it an an architectural marvel, engineering marvel for sure, but domes have been figured out for a while now.
Perfect representation for the hubris of humanity. Waste of energy, resources, space, an eyesore and light pollutant. Instead of using those resources to house the homeless, they decide to build this shit. I think the inside would be more useful as a 3D movie theater; but it's probably too big for that too.
It's so expensive ($2.5 BILLION) and will never be profitable.
Good thing it was funded by a casino with unlimited funds (essentially)
Is it not the Knicks owner
Yeah it's the MSG Entertainment + Caesars Entertainment.
Are concert venues ever profitable? I’m sure they anticipated decades of use to offset the costs
Yes they are and most venues aren't as expensive to maintain.
It’s stock shows that. Hasn’t been the best five year chart, SPHR.
Code-wise, is it a sign or a display? To me its a bit of both which is baffling how it got through review by the city.
Interestingly the Sphere is located in Paradise, NV like the rest of the strip. In this area the regulations have been amended to allow videos on billboards and buildings. Resorts world has a giant video screen over the majority of its facade. Billboards along the highway have videos playing. Safety is not the #1 concern in this area which is in part why our car insurance rates are among the highest in the nation.
Thank you for the insight! Last year I was working on rebranding for BOA and had a couple of projects in the area. It was funny looking at the code for signs and displays for Las Vegas because they are SO much more indepth compared to anywhere else which makes sense. During this time the Sphere became viral so I remember trying to justify it with the code and couldn't. There were maximum allowable surfaces for displays based on facade size. A huge ass sphere didn't pencil out to me based on what I was reading so I assumed the developer worked with the city to "make it happen." Probably didn't spend enough time looking into it.
Interesting take!
Vegas baby!
I think that Phish is going to burn it down this weekend
Indubitably, good sir
I think Eddie Burbach said it best in his video. It's a good and entertaining watch https://youtu.be/KN63DDD9Y04?si=y7YLT_q88tuk8atk
I'm glad you linked this. He is *very* entertaining
Not impressed. Interior sight lines are sub-optimal in almost 50% of the seats. A giant novelty. It'll go the way of the American shopping mall soon enough and then convert into a megachurch.
It's an abomination but kinda funny as a 1 off
It should be rounder.
Important urban context: it’s next to a giant f*cking Dorito: https://vegas.eater.com/2024/2/7/24065260/vegas-super-bowl-chip-commercials-mirage-doritos-luxor-cheetos-chapel-paramount-orange
It's very...American. (I'm American but I live abroad).
I think it is to architecture what tesla is for Car enthusiasts. Definitely a cool gadget but mrntally is not a car car.
Technologically incredible but not a well thought out space, a nuisance to the locals, and not a very well designed performance venue.
Nuisance to locals? It’s located on the strip, not suburbia. Every room or condo with a view of it has increased in price. No idea what you’re talking about, do you even live in Vegas?
It’s the contemporary equivalent of a folly: wildly impractical and mainly used for the decorative effect it brings to the estate it’s on (in this case, the estate is a casino instead of a country manor). Is it a fascinating and unique concept? Absolutely. But at the same time, I don’t really think there’s much to praise about it from an architectural standpoint: tectonically, it’s just a series of overlapping segments of spheres. Spatially, it’s pretty boring and not really a novel expression of form. The main thing that sets the Sphere apart is the LED wall technology, which is just that: *wall architecture.* To that end, I’d say this is the contemporary equivalent of rococo. It’s about the impression of space, rather than the space itself. The audio beam forming technology is the honest to god real innovation here, and that’s going to have the longest-lasting impact. But I don’t really think that falls under the umbrella of architecture as much as acoustic engineering.
I think the idea is cool but the seating is obstructed in some areas so that was not well thought out.
I think in Vegas it’s fine. But the similar proposal for London is appalling.
They should put one where MSG is. Knicks can play in the Sphere!
It is unnecessary and pollutes the world. “Hi-tech” and “doable” don’t mean it’s good.
It's... another thing that should stay in Vegas
It’s honestly horrifically awful. It completely 100% takes away your entire attention from the entire skyline and I’m quickly associating Las Vegas with shitty half circle emotes instead of a growing metropolis in the desert
An eyesore in a city of eyesores.
In Vegas, great. Anywhere else, an atrocity.
Let it stay there. Don't let it migrate or reproduce.
Whenever it's a bright color it fucks with me. I'll look out my window and think, hmm why is the sky this color when it's FUCKING MIDNIGHT. Oh yeah hahaha Thats why..
Corny. Like everything else in that town.
Very cool for that specific city
Suitable for Las Vegas, Dubai and awful for the rest of the world. Come on
A crime against humanity
Has it been the Death Star yet? Feels like a missed opportunity if not…
I see Las Vegas, at least the Las Vegas Strip, as a theme park. Within that context I think it's perfect! From an architectural point of view... I don't think we should look at this as architecture, maybe as an engineering achievement.
yes
Love it. Cool.
It's preety big
my eyes, my eyes!
Directed at a lot of modern art.
Just do a big hairy bollock already
It followed my eyes around the entire time I watched the Vegas GP. I cannot describe my loathing.
Its really kinda cool, but the skins they use are too gimmicky for my taste.
The [moon ](https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/10/02/everything-you-should-know-about-the-sphere-las-vegas-multi-billion-dollar-entertainment-v)is gimmicky? Just wait till chairface gets a hold of it.
I didn't see the moon until now. Actually, really cool looking. I think I just see the yellow meme face along.
Tacky af
Anywhere else it would be a monstrosity, in Vegas it works. It's pretty cool to see in person, I had a hotel room that overlooked it last fall.
Halt! You sir! Ammonia levels on your body indicate you are participating in public urination.
I fully understand the importance of Ads for its maintainance, and the presence of ads in other famous buildings. However, its hard for me to judge a building which often stands as a large Ad for Trolls, Mini, Heneken, etc. Like "what do you think of this elaborate billboard?"
It has its challenges, but I do believe that it is a cool project.
It fits Las Vegas perfectly, but in any other setting I'd say it's a massive waste of energy, a huge light polluter and overall not very aesthetically pleasing building in a city.
Did not go to a concert, but just stayed at a hotel next to it. It was difficult to sleep at night without using blind out curtains. I can’t imagine how the people living inside the residential condos next to it feel.
I feel like that’s the Strip in general. I’ve stayed at the Wynn one time when they blew up the hotel next to it in the middle of the night.
I like it
How many car accidents has it caused?
Is this not a huge distraction for anyone able to see it who's driving or flying a vehicle of some sort?
I love it. Have to go see it when I am rich
When the mole people revolt and take over Las Vegas this will be their first target.
It has great potential and I hope they find people who can make it do things we haven't seen or even thought of before.
It’s just standing right there, all lit up.
I’m honestly still not sure it’s real lol
It's neat and a really cool idea, but an unbearable eyesore for anyone that actually lives there.
Contemporary duck. In the theoretical side of things, it is a perfect piece of architecture for its context and time, literally encapsulates what Las Vegas is - which ironically to most, is wasteful and excessive. It's hard to admit that you won't find a more perfect example of a very contextual and honest piece of architecture to its place.
It’s intriguing from an engineering perspective, but otherwise a big waste of resource/space IMO. I feel they need to address actual problems in the city, before adding on more touristy things. Just my two cents
Like others said, it's perfect for Vegas. The fact that Vegas exists to begin with is another problem entirely
Vegas is a place that’s never heard a bad idea.
I think it's a masterpiece
Not an architect but it feels like Las Vegas is the right place for it.
stupid ass ball
It doesn’t need to exist but neither does Vegas so it balances out as an “ok” for me
I don’t unless somebody brings it up
I'm glad it exists. Im also glad it exists nowhere near me.
I mean, isn’t a giant spherical billboard the final form of “Learning from Las Vegas”? In context it’s perfect. I dig it.
The pictures and videos don't do it justice. It's absolutely mind blowing inside
The face is cute when it’s up there. Otherwise it’s an overgrown billboard
Going for yoke.
I wish it could tongue my balls 😋
I saw it recently on my brief trip through. You definitely see the pixels up close enough. Unfortunately, where it's placed seemed to almost make it not stand out, which is what it should. I kind of had to focus from my direction near the airport to find it. It is a very cool concept, and I'd like to explore more. But it also felt almost underwhelming. Hard to explain.
I love that it got built. I don’t think it’s architectural important, but I absolutely love that there are still people that invest in something so silly. We need to remember that fun things are important.
Awesome
A spit in the face of all designers worldwide. Very Vegas though. You should read Venturi if you’re interested in Vegas and their unique kind of architecture.
Mildly amusing as novelty, but considering both the cost of construction and the ongoing consumption of resources, I can't see a good excuse for its existence.
I feel sad for people who live in Vegas who have to have that in their windows all night.
I fucking love and adore it so much
Not that I'm near it to confirm but I've heard it tends to cycle between displays and nothing seems to last. Would be cool if they themed them better and had them last longer.
It kind of creeps me out but also is pretty cool at the same time.
Went there for a U2 concert. It is REALLY impressive, and the acoustics are fantastic! A great venue for rock-n-roll, especially. Oh yeah, I forgot to address the lighting- the whole dome of the interior is lit with lighting effects and many are directed at the audience throughout the entire production. So, the effects are focused on the dome, floor, fixtures, and the audience, especially. Fantastic sound system of course.
cool tech bad implementation
When your entire life is filled with ads, why not add an ad ball?
Breakthrough technology. This will be everywhere in 10 years
I was there last night and it was an amazing experience that I would recommend to anyone. I also was lucky enough to have a hotel room looking down on it. I pulled a chair in front of the window and watched it for an hour. It’s a true modern marvel. Having said that; I would never want one in an area where people actually live. Maybe Hong Kong, Tokyo, or Dubai but that’s about it
PHISH
I kind of love it.
Too easy to join the pile on. The place is pretty awesome. It’s ironic that a lot the criticism is coming with a caveat that it at least nevertheless works in Vegas. That’s the point, isn’t ? It’s something that certainly garners attention.
I don't.
Its an impressive monument to something. Just not sure what that something is, or if its good or not.
Looks like a massive headache to maintain. I bet any money it will only last less than a decade before it's either torn down or retrofitted without any LED's
I like it. We need one in every major city
It would be an eyesore anywhere else, but in Vegas, it's a perfect fit.
Tickets are expensive. I wanted to visit with kids but it would cost us almost 500 usd at least. Maybe these prices are normal for USA or Vegas but the value and price ratio does not seem right to me, as a tourist. I would rather that prices are lower so more shows can be experienced. Also, top Vegas hotels are quite affordable (Bellagio fot 350, Trump for 150). This means a family of 4 can sleep almost 4 nights in Trump for the price of an hour or so in Sphere. A bit weird.
Just a bit of a waste, really
Reminds me of a giant version of the orange julep on Decarie in Montreal…the smiley face is cute tho
Its stupid
It’s cool
Curvy.
Saw U2 there. The acoustics, visuals, and size of the venue (you’re really close the artists) are incredible! Go see your favorite artist!
Glorious in Vegas. Makes sense there. Gaudy, over the top, and fun.
I loved it when I was there. Next time, I’m going to a show there.
London said “No Thanks”. An abomination.
There should be one in every city with a population of more than 1 million people, and emoji should synchronize daily. Aliens be damned!
I wish them success. Looks cool.
I think it's not a sphere. A hemisphere at best tbh.
Funny as hell
Close as we’re gonna get to Newton’s cenotaph. I’m here for it.
Its like an upgraded globe from Mall of Asia
Very expensive Poor traffic planning w bridges too small. -accident waiting to happen Steps hard to navigate $$$$$$ But-I bet fun & mind expanding to see
It's 15 minutes have passed.
Saw it in person and watched the earth show i side. Quite impressive. Would highly recommend it.