London’s Madison Square Garden Sphere gets planning approval
An east London music venue as wide as the London Eye and as tall as Big Ben has been approved by planners, despite opposition from thousands of local people.
The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) made the decision about the MSG Sphere, a live entertainment concept from New York’s Madison Square Garden (MSG) company, on Tuesday night. If approved by the mayor, it would be built on an empty spot of land between Stratford station and the Olympic park.
The 21,500-capacity venue, reported to cost £800m, is designed for “the next generation of immersive experiences”. It would feature the biggest and highest-resolution LED screen in the world, an “infrasound haptic system” of vibrating floors, and “beamforming” audio technology to channel sound to every seat.
The building’s facade is a spherical LED screen measuring two hectares (five acres). It is expected to glow and be covered with animated adverts for much of the time, flickering near people’s bedroom windows. Inside there will be restaurants and bars.
The MSG Sphere will outstrip the UK’s current largest concert venues, the Manchester Arena (capacity 21,000) and London’s O2 Arena (20,000), although the Co-op Live Arena under construction in east Manchester is forecast to hold 23,500 people.
The MSG Sphere’s supporters, including the University of East London and the former cabinet minister Matt Hancock, say it will boost the capital’s economy by £2.5bn, bringing construction and hospitality jobs to the area.
Paul Westbury, from MSG, said the application had gone through a “thorough assessment” and that the venue would help make Stratford “a global destination for music and technology”, the Evening Standard reported.
But local people say it will blight the area with
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