Designs for spherical concert venue commissioned by group behind Madison Square Garden are set to add even more diversity to the capitals ‘suggestive skyline’, according to an opinion piece in the Guardian.
image DBW website
The Guardian writes:
London’s suggestive skyline already boasts a Gherkin, a Walkie Talkie and a Cheesegrater. Soon they may be joined by the Golf Ball. According to plans seen by the Guardian, a giant glass sphere taller than St Paul’s Cathedral could be built next to the Olympic park in east London. The design for the concert venue was commissioned by the Madison Square Garden Company, which also owns the New York Knicks basketball team. MSG’s executive chairman, James Dolan, was recently accused in a US court filing of knowing about Harvey Weinstein’s alleged predatory sexual conduct. Dolan is also a financial supporter of Donald Trump.
Early designs circulating for the orb suggest the venue could accommodate up to 20,000 people. Such a size would allow it to rival the O2 arena in the former Millennium Dome in Greenwich, which is operated by another US entertainment company, AEG. According to sources, MSG has commissioned Populous, the architects behind the nearby London Stadium, Wembley and the planned Bristol arena, as well as stadiums across north America.
… One source said the building could reach 130 metres (427ft) – comparable in height to the arch of Wembley stadium and 20m taller than St Paul’s.
… A previous proposal to build a ‘snow dome’ ski centre on the site, backed by the former London mayor Boris Johnson, was scrapped in 2016. It remains unclear when the orb designs were drawn up or how likely they are to be advanced.’
