A new venue opened in Las Vegas on the 29th of September, and the first concert was by U2, the first of a series of shows celebrating their album 'Achtung Baby'.
It's called 'The Sphere'. It's a Sphere lined with LED screens which allow imagery to be projected on the interior and exterior.
A number of phone videos were shared on social media which showed some of the show. There were some impressive elements to what I saw, but some questions as well...
The Sphere is described as follows:
Cost around $2.3 billion to build.18,000 seats
160,000 speakers
111 meters tall and 157 meters wide
The largest spherical building in the world.
The entire Statue of Liberty could fit inside it.
Sustainability has been part of the discussions about this venue. Claims have been made regarding its construction, energy use etc.
It's apparently powered by renewable energy. (70% at least)
The imagery is described here.
Sphere is 516 feet wide, 366 feet tall. It’s the world’s largest spherical structure. The main atrium has a volume of nearly 6 million cubic feet. Now on to the impressive parts: The curved walls inside the sphere are covered with 16K x 16K resolution displays, the highest resolution screens to have ever been produced. Brambilla, an artist known for using 3D imaging in public installations and video art, likened the resolution to nine IMAX screens combined. Inside, the temperature can suddenly change, the air can be scented and, according to Adam Clayton, U2’s bass player, the sound is miles ahead of any other concert venue the band has performed.Brian Eno's algorithmic work is used as well.
The most sustainable thing would have been to not build it of course, and use existing venues for music and other performances.
Some detail on the construction, and some concerns.
Light pollution is also an issue.
There are apparently plans for building something similar in East London. This is not the same type of location as Las Vegas, which is a very different place.
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