Sphere, which opened in Las Vegas, features the largest LED panel in the world; see curiosities
Sphere, a giant sphere that promises to change the world of entertainment, was inaugurated in Las Vegas in the United States over the weekend.
Located next to the famous Strip in Nevada City, it is the largest spherical structure in the world. It is 112 meters high more than the Statue of Liberty or Big Ben and 157 meters wide.
The Irish rock band presents U2: UV Warning Baby Live at the Sphere a tribute to their 1991 album for 25 days until midDecember.
1 of 7 U2, the band that inaugurated the sphere, has almost half a century of history Photo: Getty Images via BBC U2, the band that inaugurated the sphere, has almost half a century of history Photo: Getty Images via BBC
The Sphere will also host the premiere of a film by renowned New York director Darren Aronofsky (known for the films “The Black Swan” and “The Whale”), made specifically for this auditorium and incorporating technologies, on October 6th to create an immersive experience.
“It’s a science fiction journey into the depths of our future,” the director said of Postcard From Earth, a film that will be shown in the sphere for at least a year and a half.
BBC Mundo, the BBC’s service in Spanish, has collected four pieces of data on the size of this new entertainment sector.
1. A 54,000 m² LED screen, the largest in the world
The outer surface of the sphere is completely covered by a 54,000 m² LED screen, an area equivalent to about 8 football fields.
The huge screen features 50 million LED lights that glow day and night. It was lit for the first time to celebrate July 4th of that year, United States Independence Day.
The indoor screen that viewers of the shows see inside the sphere measures 15,000 m².
With 173 million pixels, it is the highest resolution screen in the world. And it reaches from the ground to a height of 76 meters.
Behind the design and construction of the two screens is an office in Zaragoza, Spain, led by architect Miguel Montgivel.
According to a 2019 report by risk assessment agency S&P, the project is expected to consume 96 GWh (gigawatthours) of energy annually which, assuming an average residential consumption of 162 kWh per year, would be enough to power 49,300 Brazilian households for one month in 2019, according to Information from EPE (Energy Research Company).
2 of 7 Image of the inside of the ball during a U2 concert Photo: Getty Images via BBC Image of the inside of the ball during a U2 concert Photo: Getty Images via BBC
2. Capacity for 17.5 thousand spectators
This is the seating capacity of the auditorium, although it can hold up to 20,000 people if you include standing room.
A total of 10,000 seats are equipped with haptic technology, meaning they can vibrate to give the viewer a tactile feel of what is happening on the screen. They can also create wind, temperature and smell effects.
3 of 7 Work has stopped completely during the Covid19 pandemic Photo: Getty Images via BBC Work has stopped completely during the Covid19 pandemic Photo: Getty Images via BBC
3. About 167,000 speakers
The Sphere’s sound is based on a technology called Wave Field Synthesis, which uses a large number of electronically controlled speakers so that their wave interference creates a very similar acoustic experience anywhere in the room.
Some attendees at the inauguration also reported that the soundproofing was surprising. In other words, little or nothing can be heard outside the room of what is happening inside.
4 out of 7 Those who attended the U2 concert had an immersive experience Photo: Getty Images via BBC Those who attended the U2 concert had an immersive experience Photo: Getty Images via BBC
4. Cost of $2.3 billion
In 2019, the total cost of the project was estimated at US$1.2 billion (R$6 billion).
However, some design changes, the crisis in the supply chain resulting from the pandemic and the increase in inflation in the final phase of construction ultimately led to the investment in Sphere almost doubling, to US$2.3 billion (R$11.6 billion ). ).
It is the most expensive auditorium in Las Vegas, even surpassing Allegiant Stadium, which has four times the capacity of the Sphere.
* In collaboration with BBC News Brasil for energy consumption data.
5 of 7 Las Vegas receives around 40 million visitors per year Photo: Getty Images via BBC Las Vegas receives around 40 million visitors per year Photo: Getty Images via BBC 6 of 7 The Sphere’s internal screen has a resolution of 16K Photo : Getty Images via BBC The Sphere’s internal screen has a resolution of 16K Photo: Getty Images via BBC 7 of 7 On July 4th, the Sphere turned on its exterior lights for the first time and officially opened its doors on Friday, September 29th Gates Photo: Getty Images via BBC The ball switched on its exterior lights for the first time on July 4th and officially opened its doors on Friday September 29th Photo: Getty Images via BBC