Dome Sweet Dome - Part III

Dome Sweet Dome

Addendum

While not applicable or practical for private homes or multiple family dwellings, geodesic domes remain popular for aesthetic resort and wilderness accomodations and for large public exhibitions and facilities.

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The newest and most amazing contemporary dome is "The Sphere" in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Sphere in Las Vegas is not a traditional geodesic dome structure, but it does incorporate some geodesic principles in its design. The Sphere's exoskeleton uses a geodesic space grid, which is a series of equally spaced latitudes that produce identical rings, cut with diagonals. This design creates a network of interlocking triangles that form the 360° shape and structure of the building.

The Sphere originated from a simple sketch by James Dolan, the executive chairman of Madison Square Garden Entertainment. What began as a circle with a stick figure inside evolved into a $2.3 billion technological marvel. The project was announced in 2018, and construction began in September of that year. After five years of development, the Sphere officially opened on September 29, 2023, with a concert by U2.

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Size and Dimensions

The Sphere is truly massive, standing as the largest spherical building in the world.

- Height: 366 feet (112 meters)

- Width: 516 feet (157 meters) at its broadest point

- Total area: 875,000 square feet (81,300 square meters)

To put its size into perspective, the entire Statue of Liberty could easily fit inside the Sphere.

Cost and Construction

The Sphere's construction was an ambitious and expensive undertaking.

- The project required excavating 84,000 cubic meters of dirt to prepare the site.

- The world's fourth-largest crane was used during construction due to the structure's size.

- The dome's roof required 3,000 tons of steel and includes 32 trusses weighing 100 tons each.

- Total cost: $2.3 billion

- Construction began in 2018 and was completed in September 2023

- It is the most expensive entertainment venue ever built in Las Vegas

Exterior Display

- 1.2 million programmable LED lights covering 580,000 square feet

- Visible from space, according to the venue's owners

Interior Screen

- World's largest and highest resolution LED screen

- 160,000 square feet, wrapping around two-thirds of the interior

- 16K resolution with 268 million pixels

Audio System

- World's largest concert-grade audio system

- 1,586 loudspeaker modules and 167,000 speaker drivers

- Beamforming technology for precise sound direction

Immersive Experience

- 10,000 seats with haptic technology for vibration effects

- 4D effects including wind, temperature changes, and scents