MSG Sphere at the Venetian
Cutting-edge design for immersive entertainment
Project Facts
| Location | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Owner | Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp |
| Cost | $2.4 Billion |
| Status | Completed 2023 |
Overview
The MSG Sphere at the Venetian features a 580,000 sq. ft. 360-degree LED display, the largest of its kind. Walter P Moore engineered the exosphere, ensuring efficient access and maintenance for the complex structure, helping bring this unique entertainment venue to completion.
Services
Challenges
Creating an Innovative Structure
The MSG Sphere at the Venetian is the world’s largest spherical structure, measuring 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide at its broadest point. Debuting in 2023, the exterior features 580,000 square feet of programmable LED displays, forming an immersive 360-degree screen that wraps the sphere. The screen is composed of 1.2 million pucks attached to aluminum extrusions, each containing 48 individual LED lights that can display up to 256 million different colors.
Addressing Complex Design Requirements
Designing the exosphere and its supporting systems posed significant challenges due to the innovative nature of the project.
Ensuring Access to Internal Components
Developing a strategy for accessing the screen’s internal components was critical; any failure could lead to significant sections of the LED panels ceasing to function, disrupting displays and impacting viewer experience and client revenue.
Solutions
Engineering Expertise
Walter P Moore served as the project’s enclosure engineer and engineer of record for the sphere’s secondary steel and lattice structure. The firm’s multidisciplinary team was involved throughout all phases, from design development through construction, bridging gaps between the numerous specialists in the design and construction of such an intricate enclosure. Important considerations included the project’s location, climatic conditions, and the building’s purpose as a high-performance entertainment venue, focusing on acoustics, vibrations, thermal performance, and occupant comfort.
Collaboration and Advanced Modeling
Working closely with primary structural engineer Severud Associates and LED lighting contractor Yesco, Walter P Moore’s engineers developed precise digital models and physical mock-ups of the exosphere. This collaborative approach allowed them to create engineered solutions for the complex enclosure challenges. The intricate models helped explain the complex structure to other project consultants, mitigate risks, and facilitate code reviews. They also informed the strategy for accessing the screen’s internal infrastructure, including catwalks and ramps necessary for emergency access to power and data control boxes.
Strategic Design for Maintenance Access
Walter P Moore’s design team prioritized ensuring quick and easy emergency access to the LED components and control panels. They developed an intricate system of internal catwalks, ramps, and ropes for the lower levels, accommodating equipment within the narrow space between the exosphere enclosure and the arena walls. On the upper levels, catwalks connect via stairs, and a building maintenance unit (BMU) operates from a circular track on the arena roof, featuring an extendable arm with a reach of up to 200 feet for accessing the backside of the panels.
