A closer look at Las Vegas Sphere impact on architecture industry
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Sphere has captured the attention of many, including Alex Hu from Canada who was strolling along the Las Vegas Strip on Monday.
“Looks good, it fits well,” said Hu. “We’ll be back in the future, it’s a beautiful city. It’s all about the people who work here that make it what it is.”
Since its first display back in July, Sphere has been putting on an eye-catching show, with tourists and locals getting a front-row seat to all the action.
“It’s pretty sweet. It looks really cool,” Christian Llarenas from Seattle added. “We saw the Mortal Kombat ad on it yesterday.”
It is one of a kind, not only in its blueprint, but it has become an iconic structure in Las Vegas and its impact on the architectural artistry is part of the evolving city’s skyline.
“The Sphere is just the latest in a lineup of architectural learning opportunities that we see just in our own backyard,” Associate Professor of Architecture Glenn Nowak said.
Nowak is also the founder of UNLV’s School of Architecture’s hospitality design program where students analyze new or remodeled structures on the Strip and envision new ways to improve on its designs.
“I’m excited to see some of my own students in the master of architecture program, have played a role in things like commissioning of the Sphere as part of their internships, looking at the building system performance,” Nowak explained. “We have looked at the integration of digital technology, obviously it’s paramount when looking at that, it’s impossible to ignore and it shows that evolution we’ve seen throughout the Strip.”
According to MSG Entertainment, the 580,000 square foot “exosphere” is made up of LEDs with each one being the size of a hockey puck. With music and sports ads already popping up, it’s hard to miss.
“Now with the integration of LEDs on the building’s facade, we can actually see this building transform and impact people’s emotions in seconds and that’s what’s really fascinating, drawing people’s attention,” Nowak added.
Nowak told 8 News Now Sphere’s architectural integrity is all thanks to a design team working with various consults to not only ensure the outside is safe and intact but the inside too.
“Just behind that dome, access for maintenance is already built into that structure,” Nowak added. “So it’s really a sphere within a sphere and between those layers, lots of catwalks and the ability for maintenance to get in and around.”
With people stopping in their tracks to take pictures and videos, what does this mean for traffic and future construction?
“It’s probably going to have a ripple effect on the way we design just the urban environment around the sphere to accommodate those concerns of traffic or pedestrians hanging out perhaps causing bottlenecks here and there,” Nowak said.
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