The Madison Square Garden Company has begun excavation for the MSG Sphere at the Venetian, a 500 foot diameter globe-shaped building that will have seating for 18,000. It has a projected completion date of 2021.
About 3,500 construction workers will work on the project during its life, and the Sphere will employ 4,400.
A 1,100 ft. pedestrian bridge will connect the structure to the Sands Expo and Convention Center, which is preparing to undergo an extensive expansion.
The exterior of the sphere will have 580,000 SF of programmable surface while the interior will have a 160,000 SF spherical display. It will employ cutting edge sound technology that will include directed “beamformed” sound transmission. An infrasound haptic floor system will allow for augmented reality, where, for example, a person might feel what it is like to walk in snow or on pebbles, without actually doing so.
MSG previously demonstrated the Sphere’s technology at Radio City Music Hall about a year ago and has since then taken it on the road to locations including London and Southern California.
