In total, around 47,500 individual, high-precision components were manufactured, with no two pieces being the same. To assemble the elements precisely, a lifting device specially developed for this project was manufactured and approved by the American authorities.
A special highlight are the 229 openable flaps on the LED screen: artists, for example, can use ropes to float in the “Sphere” through these openings.
The entire building is based on the idea of flexibility, including the stage. Seele impressed with his concept, which was realized in one year, from the idea, through planning, production to the assembly of a mobile mechanism. The stage screens (proscenium screen), which are approximately the size of a tennis court, were constructed in such a way that the playing area can be set up and dismantled in a short time. “The design was refined in detail together with the client and their experienced operations team,” says Michael Lind, project manager at se-austria. The complexity of this surface lies in the double curved contour – both vertically and horizontally.
The “Sphere” project also required the highest level of precision in production
To maintain strict tolerances, temperature during production had to be taken into account, as it is subject to fluctuations of up to ten degrees in a day. However, the change in temperature influences the expansion of the material.
The solution was achieved with the support of AI: a 3D coordinate measuring machine recorded the ambient temperature on the one hand and the results of the machining center on the other. The data was then put into relationship and the target cut lengths were adjusted to the actual cut lengths of the aluminum bars based on the measurement data. This meant that every component across the screen surface could be manufactured to the desired size for the final installation condition. The components were assembled, measured and then disassembled again for shipping.
From Attersee, Seele experts manage extraordinary projects around the world, including this one. “Sphere” was performed by several companies participating in the Seele Group. Some of the employees moved to Las Vegas for the nine-month assembly period. “This project made my lifelong dream come true: on the one hand, spending some time abroad and, on the other hand, being involved in this important project”, says Branko Tesic, project manager in Se-Austria. Together with Christian Sebastian, technical project manager, and the Seele team, they controlled the processes at the construction site in Las Vegas.