The South Korean city of Hanam is planning to build its own version of the MSG Sphere – an LED-covered 20,000-capacity orb that opened in Las Vegas in September.
A memorandum of understanding has been signed by David Stern, vice chairman of the MSG Company, and Lee Hyun-jae, the mayor of Hanam, according to the Korea Economic Daily.
Korean newspaper JoongAng Daily dubbed the development the “K-pop Sphere”, and noted that the 120m-high, 160m-wide ball would be fast-tracked through preliminary feasibility procedures to allow for construction to begin in 2025.
The Las Vegas original was designed by US architect Populous and since opening has hosted a residency from U2 and the premiere of Postcard from Earth, a movie designed for the venue by Darren Aronofsky.
The New York Post reports that another Sphere is planned in Abu Dhabi. However, Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, rejected a proposal for a Sphere close to the 2012 Olympic Park in Stratford, citing concerns about light pollution.
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