The architecture of large venues experienced one of its greatest days at the beginning of the month with U2's inaugural concert at 'The Sphere' in Las Vegas. Beyond the chords of the Irish band, the main attraction for the thousands of spectators was to see the inside of the sphere covered with a 15,000 square meter LED screen (54,000 meters outside), the design of which was in charge. from Zaragoza a team of professionals led by the architect Miguel Fontgivell. Innovation 'made in Aragón' for a visual odyssey called to change live entertainment.
“We are surprised by the impact and the good acceptance it has had,” Fontgivell, a 42-year-old from Zaragoza who did not attend the premiere in the US because he was awaiting the birth of his daughter, tells this newspaper. In his opinion, the success of the infrastructure, which has cost 2.3 billion dollars, lies in the combination of its spectacular size – 110 meters high by 150 meters wide on a 7-hectare esplanade – with the 360º immersiveness provided by the curvature of the interior screen, with a resolution 32 times greater than the best high-definition television. “It is a 3D sensation without glasses and, unlike classic virtual reality, which is a more solitary experience, it can be enjoyed collectively with 18,000 other viewers,” he says.
The sphere is a bet by the president of the Madison Square Garden group (MSG), James Dolan, one of the world leaders in leisure venues. For this project, Fontgivell has had a team of 22 professionals, 30 at the height of the project, from the two companies that he commands in the center of Zaragoza: Saco Technologies and Oboria Digital. He has architects, computer scientists and engineers on his staff, although he assures that everyone here knows how to program. They do not have rigid structures, and tasks are assigned based on personal capabilities. “We continue working as a start-up, that is what innovation requires of us,” he clarifies. Furthermore, he draws attention that 50% of the team is made up of women, which makes them a rare bird in a very masculinized sector.
The sphere project fell into his hands due to his good work in previous work. His company Oboria, which he defines as a firm that develops artificial intelligence (AI) applications that create design, was born as a spin-off of Vubari Global, responsible in 2017 for designing the LED video façade of the tallest building on the planet. , the Burj Khalifa tower. “Two weeks after inaugurating it, they called me to tell me about a project on the cover of a giant geodesic sphere, although without many other details,” he says. At first they were only going to take care of the outside, but eventually they also took on the inside.
In total, there have been five years of complex work at different levels in the strictest secrecy. “The interior screen is the backbone of the entire building, the rest has been subordinated to its operation,” explains the architect. Outside, where 4,500 panels add up to 1,200,000 points of light, one of the main challenges was to compete with the sun and its thermal influence, although since the resolution was lower, they had more room for maneuver. “On the other hand, inside the complexity was greater, we are talking about submillimeter precision,” he adds.
Added to this are calculations so that the structure does not pose a risk in the event of a natural disaster – “it is a box in box system, if the outside box moves, the inside remains cushioned,” he explains – and that it follows US regulations. dictated on relevant infrastructures as a result of 9/11 to minimize the effect of attacks or explosions.
For its execution, its team has thoroughly exploited its knowledge in AI. In 2017, they already began applying evolutionary algorithms – “you create the rules of natural selection and let evolution advance,” he explains – which in just two weeks allowed them to save $200,000 on wiring in the Burj Khalifa. To design the sphere, he says that they have used that and other more advanced technologies with which they have analyzed billions of solutions. “With these processes, AI becomes increasingly intelligent, and now it would be much easier for us to make another sphere,” says the architect.
With the learning acquired and the prestige that comes with being the star of the season in the world capital of the game, they have no shortage of future plans. There is talk of a second MSG sphere in London, although “until nothing is signed, it is confidential and cannot be taken for granted.” Whether it comes out or not, other projects are lurking, in a new example that from a provincial capital you can aspire to anything thanks to globalization. “I have never made decisions for money or to expand in a big way, but rather to enjoy a job in my city, which gave me the first opportunity,” Fontgivell concludes.
