Crime Populous' spherical music venue gets go ahead to be built in London - From William Shakespeare to Fortnite snow globes

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Architecture studio Populous has won planning approval for the MSG Sphere music and esports arena, which will be London's largest indoor venue.

Designed for the organisation that runs New York's Madison Square Garden (MSG), the 90-metre-high spherical music venue would be built near the Olympic Park in east London.
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It is set to be built after the London Legacy Development Corporation's planning committee voted six to four in favour of the proposal.

It made the decision despite 852 objections submitted in opposition to the project. In total, 355 responses were received supporting the proposal.

"The applications have been subject to robust review and a detailed officer report," said an LLDC spokesperson.

"Following careful consideration, the independent Planning Decisions Committee has approved granting full planning permission for the MSG Sphere, subject to conditions," the spokesperson added.

Following the agreement of Section 106 planning obligations, the application will be referred to the London mayor's office for final approval.
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Designed by stadium-specialist Populous, the venue will have a capacity of 21,500 with 17,566 seated.

It will be built on a triangular site, which is surrounded on all sides by railway lines, alongside the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre.

The main auditorium would be placed within the 90-metre-high sphere along with restaurants, cafes and a members' club. Within the sphere, the interior surface will be covered in an "immersive LED surface" that could be utilised for esports.

"MSG Sphere London is a natural fit for events such as esports, where audiences will be able to participate in the competition and interact with each other," said a statement from MSG when the project was first revealed.
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"It represents an important milestone in the company's vision to redefine live entertainment through iconic venues that will feature game-changing technologies and pioneer the next generation of transformative, immersive experiences."

The sphere would rise from a podium building that will contain shops and a nightclub.

Externally it will be covered in LED screens that will be used for promoting upcoming events or for advertising.

The venue is one of a pair of sphere-shaped arenas designed by Populous that were first revealed in 2018. Its almost-identical sister venue is currently under construction in Las Vegas and scheduled to be complete next year.

The building will be the latest in a series of spherical buildings. We recently rounded up nine globe-shaped buildings from around the world.
 
While I agree with people that the concept shots look cool the article reveals what's actually going on the outside.

Externally it will be covered in LED screens that will be used for promoting upcoming events or for advertising.

All those cool images may be on about 30 minutes of the day. The rest of the time "buy, bitches!"
 
Modern London has some of the worst architecture in the world, it's like peak postmodern degeneracy. It is to globohomo what Speer's reconstruction of Berlin was to Nazism.

To be fair this building's okay though. Never mind I just realized it'll be full of advertising and consooming so it'll fit perfectly.
 
I actually really like the look of the building, but I've seen some of the interior plans for the building posted on an architecture shaming group and they are peak retardation. In order to get things up to the top of the dome, where they do have important functions located, they are going to have to haul whatever it is up seven flights of stairs. This is going to include whenever they need to replace/repair electronic equipment. Its lunacy.
 
I thought it was a shoop inspired by Dark at first.

Either way, between the station and West Ham playing, traffic and crowding is going to be even more of a complete fucking nightmare around that area.
 
The shadow of the dome of pleasure
Floated midway on the waves;
Where was heard the mingled measure
From the fountain and the caves.
It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!


Looks very futuristic and sticks out of the surrounding landscape like a sore thumb. I am biased and admit that I consider anything that clashes with historic look of a city an ungodly abomination, but surely it would be best if they restricted all future-tech gizmo architecture to a single island or block or something and not spread it all over the townscape like a technoplague.

Otherwise you end up with stuff like this.

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Epcot ball knockoff with an actualbuilding inside it instead of just a fucking ride. Incredible.

The shadow of the dome of pleasure
Floated midway on the waves;
Where was heard the mingled measure
From the fountain and the caves.
It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!


Looks very futuristic and sticks out of the surrounding landscape like a sore thumb. I am biased and admit that I consider anything that clashes with historic look of a city an ungodly abomination, but surely it would be best if they restricted all future-tech gizmo architecture to a single island or block or something and not spread it all over the townscape like a technoplague.

Otherwise you end up with stuff like this.

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This kinda uncanny valley effect is the same vibe I get off the "one world trade center" they built instead of just rebuilding the og towers like most people wanted. Shit looks like a fucking blue alien pylon crashed into an art deco landscape. Sure the OG towers stuck out like a sore fucking thumb but they at least matched the aesthetic of the rest of the place they were in.

All this orb's missing is a second smaller orb and comically large mustache on top, then we can REALLY be in the future lmao.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: Borscht
I initially thought this was about the vidya game. :(
 
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