Identity of the Large-Scale Complex Venue 'MSG Sphere'
World's Largest Spherical Building... London and Middle East Also Planned
Proposed for Hanam, Korea... "Aiming to Establish an Asian Hub"
A giant eyeball has appeared in Las Vegas, USA, attracting attention. This massive eyeball blinks and trembles, drawing the gaze of passersby.
On the 4th (local time), the British BBC reported that the eyeball is actually the globe-shaped complex performance venue called the ‘MSG Sphere.’ The giant eyeball was created as part of a lighting show ahead of the official opening of the MSG Sphere scheduled for September this year.
The MSG Sphere is a massive complex performance venue first conceptualized by the MSG Group in 2018. The MSG Group is a comprehensive entertainment company operated by the Dolan family, who own New York’s Madison Square Garden and the NBA team New York Knicks.
MSG Sphere, a multi-purpose venue in Las Vegas [Image source=Official Instagram capture of MSG Sphere]
Designed by the sports facility specialist design firm Populous, the MSG Sphere stands 111 meters tall and 172 meters wide, making it the largest spherical building in the world with a capacity of about 18,000 people.
Inside, it is equipped with an astonishing 160,000 speakers to ensure clear sound quality from any location, and its exterior features the largest LED screen on Earth. After its completion at the end of September, the world-famous rock band U2 is scheduled to perform at the opening concert.
Rich Clappie, the MSG Sphere operations manager, said, “I have worked in the entertainment industry for nearly 40 years, but I have never seen a building like this before,” adding, “It’s not an exaggeration?it’s truly incredible.” The MSG Group confidently stated, “This will become a new landmark of Las Vegas.”
Following Las Vegas, the MSG Group is also pushing projects to build MSG Spheres in London, UK, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Sphere2, with a capacity of 21,000 seats, is planned to be constructed near Stratford Station in East London. The Middle East Sphere is reportedly competing for location between Riyadh, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Kuwait.
An advertisement promoting the NBA Summer League is displayed on the exterior of the MSG Sphere, a complex performance venue scheduled for completion this September. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Additionally, the MSG Group is known to have proposed building an MSG Sphere in Misa Island, Hanam City. The plan is to create a large-scale performance venue in Korea, the birthplace of K-pop, to serve as a hub for Asia. According to Hanam City, a senior official from MSG Entertainment recently conveyed this plan to the city.
The MSG Group has shown interest in Hanam City’s ‘K-Star World Project,’ which aims to develop a large-scale cultural complex including a performance venue on a 900,000㎡ site around the Misari Rowing Stadium, with an investment of 3.5 trillion KRW. They selected this site due to its K-pop culture, accessibility to Gangnam, and riverside location along the Han River.
According to Hanam City, the MSG Group has requested to begin construction in 2025. However, it is expected to take at least 3 to 4 years to complete the necessary administrative procedures such as feasibility studies and approval of implementation plans required for project advancement.
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