The Fight to Build London’s Vegas Sphere

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0:00 Getting The Ball Rolling
1:03 The Las Vegas Sphere
3:09 Coming to London
3:40 Surfshark
4:30 The London Sphere
9:23 Outro
#construction #architecture #engineering
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[@TheB1M]

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[@martw3240]

build the sphere on top of the train station, and make it so that you can watch another show from the inside, derr

[@adamazingballs]

You don't need a vpn. Can all of you youtube shills f off with this secure your data bullshine. All you are doing is givng it to another company.

[@hufjournallife7218]

Why not ask them to move outside London near Kent border? It could be new name and new place … new name is Lancaster villa

[@Steve_McMillen]

It was announced just now that the mayor has rejected the proposal for the sphere.

[@scabthecat]

So many people in Stratford live in poverty. So the money could be better spent. Elsewhere. Stop investment that creates jobs to help poverty. That is a textbook lefty fail. And you know it. By all means object to the project for other reasons, but that one is political bullshit.

[@heeeeeeeey4064]

They should build two identical spheres next to the Shard and call it the London balls

[@rankepicdino8194]

God that fucking lightened my day 🤣

[@Car_toz]

Or at the bottom of Big Ben and call it all 'Bells of the Balls'.

[@jordank195]

@@Car_toz or simply Ben’s Balls

[@lynx7657]

Great Idea! then rename the Shard to the Shaft!

[@marksapollo]

lol so so true 😂😂 would some up the city perfectly IMO.. it’s b……..

[@blubfishuwaaa]

Update: The Mayor of London rejected the proposal to built this sphere only a few hours after this video was published

[@KepleroGT]

I'm not from London but I'm glad it didn't. As fascinating as it is that monstrosity doesn't belong in a traditional city like London.

[@myke29]

wohoo!!

[@krashd]

No, it was only a few hours after the previous video was published. This is a second video confirming it has been scrapped.

[@blubfishuwaaa]

He edited the title. There was only one video. @@krashd

[@MW_Asura]

Good. The UK needs to stop copying/importing shit from its kid. Do the people that have these ideas not understand that European cities are different in a lot of ways to North American cities?

[@darkwoodmovies]

IMHO, the Sphere is perfect for Vegas. It's over-the-top, eye-catching, modern, and excessive beyond reason. It doesn't really work in a traditional city, at least the outside part. For a city like London, I would prefer something more "classy" and elegant, not so gimmicky and flashy.

[@Tarquinthetyrant]

nothing nowdays in london works in a traditional city

[@landerpops]

I was about to say the same. I’ve been to London a few times, and something I like about the city is how classic and modern buildings merge. It shows a city that kind of preserves its history while being modern at the same time. But this sphere? It’s simply too much, too over the top

[@assassin8636]

​@@TarquinthetyrantI'm not sure about that

[@Tarquinthetyrant]

@@assassin8636 the shard, the gherkin, the WALKIE TALKIE (look up the tulip thats what their planning to do in the future)

[@kyletaylor4489]

Well also people in Las Vegas Nevada live out in the suburbs not downtown and actually the famed strip isn’t in Las Vegas it’s in paradise Nevada

[@mikerichards6065]

It’s being reported today (20/11) that the Mayor of London has rejected the proposal on the grounds it would have an adverse effect on nearby residents.

[@Light-Rock97]

The Vegas sphere is cool because it's a gaudy structure in a town that's made out of gaudy structures in the middle of the desert. I'd be pissed as a Londoner if there was a sphere there as shown in this thumbnail. If that things starts popping up in more cities it'll be like holographic advertising in the sky, really disruptive and disturbing.

[@precariousworlds3029]

Yeah I'm also from London and this does *not* work for our city.

[@lucasrem]

Light-Rock97 Same as these IMAX crap. Sponsored crab parties are not for us, they need it !

[@user-ds8rj2vc4v]

I wonder how hard it would be to crack the exterior screens. I haven no issue with the shape or construction, only the exterior lighting blinding everybody in a 5 mile radius.

[@BoilingHotCoffee]

@@user-ds8rj2vc4vit’s not an actual screen, it’s a collection of a million LED bulbs that look like a flat screen from a distance

[@Darkness8536]

That rediculous thing will never make money. The CFO just resigned. Maintenance is also a nightmare with over 1.2 million LED panels. It costs a fortune to replace lights.

[@louisspilsbury4933]

I would think it's every person's right to not have to shut light out of their window for 17 hours of the day to avoid seeing advertisements, this is abhorrent.

[@KatanaFPV]

Join every person hyper sensitive to lights and sounds living in London… Unfortunately the world won’t slow down for anyone and it never will.

[@Bxr12]

@@KatanaFPVit’s not a matter of “the world slowing down” that doesn’t even mean anything. It’s having an active voice against being inundated with ads and light pollution in your own home. This is such a stupid idea

[@GlutesEnjoyer]

@@KatanaFPVthe world goes the same speed regardless. Why is it ok for many to suffer daily for decades for the profit of a select few? (Oh wait that’s the answer)

[@mikeomatic9905]

@@Bxr12...but think of the economy! (I'm being sarcastic. I completely agree with you. I think this thing is really cool looking and I want to see it in person. But I'll be damned if I want it in my back yard.)

[@milolouis]

I agree it's an absolute joke. London used to be a beautiful city with few monstrosities. This idea has clearly been abandoned along with all British values. Just the idea that A massive billboard is a good idea in LONDON!! This is just beyond awful.

[@sos10]

Update: The Mayor of London said he will not give permission to build this thing.

[@MABfan11]

Dubai is probably the only place that is fit for another sphere. and given it's Dubai, they'll likely make it twice as big as the one in Las Vegas

[@mr.icecream7880]

Exactly

[@UnbeltedSundew]

Do the people in Dubai really want some giant ugly ball blasting ads into their nice shiney buildings? Well... maybe...

[@TheJonesdude]

@@UnbeltedSundew Dubai is a clown city, so yea they would

[@charbelsayegh16]

dubai is similar to Las Vegas. They both has large Ferris Wheel and both are located in the middle of the desert@@TheJonesdude

[@UnbeltedSundew]

@@TheJonesdude 😆

[@MrTVintro]

Crazy idea, you don't HAVE to make the outside a giant billboard.

[@princehotbuns658]

That kills the financial viability in all likelihood. Unless it’s publicly owned, there will be advertisements

[@Zveebo]

That’s literally what everyone else loves about it.

[@OfficialSamuelC]

The amount you can charge for that outside billboard is crazy and well worth it. It'll go through for sure given it'll also be a tourist attraction and bring income in.

[@valyshknee4203]

its to make it profitable since companies will be paying top dollar to get their advertisements on it, because of its would be fame and popularity in the country, same way companies pay literal millions to get their ad on the middle building on the new york square

[@jonevansauthor]

@@Zveebo aside from going inside and seeing the concerts and films? Which are where the real money is. In case you thought U2 were poor.

[@Alex-cw3rz]

I feel like if anywhere in the UK should have a sphere like that it should be Blackpool.

[@smoketinytom]

It sounds right up their street.

[@ems4884]

Your grasp of the character of British cities is very good. But don't you think Blackpool rather likes it's gritty post-Victorian ethos? This might be too "high tech" and "trendy" for them. Nevermind the fact that the Blackpool tourist economy probably wouldn't support this. My problem with this project is that it is a little too much of a copycat of Vegas. But .. there are London precursors. It was a great city for grand Victorian panoramas and quite spectacular architecture such as the crystal palace, the Skylon and Dome, the O2...

[@HALLish-jl5mo]

@@smoketinytom It can't make Blackpool any worse, and the area is only shit because the tourists stopped showing up. Land is pretty cheap too, and people would love to see it from the tower

[@user-id8dm2co1f]

Bournemouth or Brighton would be better

[@HALLish-jl5mo]

@@user-id8dm2co1f Even KZbin won't invest in the north...

[@dmntwentyfive]

This is such a monstrous idea. It’s almost literally inhumane to build a bright animate giant advertising board, bigger than St Paul’s, in front of someone’s home. They got greedy.

[@electron8262]

Does anyone have a link to the petition? I don't live in London but I'd still be willing to sign it if it helps...

[@L.Spencer]

This is the first time hearing about the Vegas sphere, at first it's unbelievably cool. But if I had to live by it, it would give me anxiety. It's too attention grabbing, too alive.

[@cleverusernamecl5532]

Inhumane? 🤡

[@GeorgeVenturi]

They should ditch the sphere idea and build a giant tea cup instead

[@jbob34345]

They were going to build it in Stratford, the entire region is soulless anyway and could do with the investment.

[@dmntwentyfive]

The initial planning permission came about because it’s in the Olympic development zone. Not a single local councillor voted to approve the ball. They were outnumbered by unelected members.

[@JimTheFly]

Could I get a little more information on this process? Such as how this planning committee was organized and how the unelected members outnumbered them to the point where they could overrule the ones who were appointed to speak for the people BY the people?

[@mr-dan-coleman]

@@JimTheFly the LLDC (London Legacy Development Corporation) has a planning committee made up of 3 board members from the LLDC itself (who are unelected), 4 independent members who are usually industry specialists and formally recruited, and 5 elected councillors from the neighbouring London boroughs. So that does unfortunately create the scenario where unelected members outrank councillors 7 to 5. In the case of the Sphere, on 22 March 2022, the planning committee voted to approve the application, 6 votes for, 4 votes against. Only one of 5 elected councillors present voted for. Thankfully though, they approved subject to the Mayor of London having the final say. Given the overwhelming negative response to it, Sadiq Khan rejected it.

[@tuckerbugeater]

We can turn that area into a larger refugee camp

[@Jwats96]

This is horrendous in my opinion. I would be absolutely pissed to see a giant light up spherical billboard outside my window every single day

[@stephenmatura1086]

Plus 60,000 folk milling around every day!

[@aoh4905]

yes and the traffic it causes... i don't understand local governments logic sometimes. They still act like children and want to be cool!

[@Southwest_923WR]

"Money talks and bullshit walks!" Im in Dallas, and I agree With you guys! I would Not want that outside MY window, as I live on the outter edge of the city, but that fits perfectly in Las Vegas, which is know far and wide for there love for neon, but for Dallas, no. London, no. New York, yes, San Antonio, Texas; no. To put in visual context; Some people should NOT wear SPANDEX in public! You get it! 😉🥂

[@djtomoy]

Haha

[@cleverusernamecl5532]

Move...

[@mark123655]

Spend half the money and just do the inside. Arguably that's the more impressive part.

[@maythesciencebewithyou]

but investors only give money if you can turn it into a gian billboard

[@TheRahsoft]

They are probably using the outside to subsidizes the inside costs.

[@Zreknarf]

i think if that's how it worked, if it would only cost half as much, they'd probably do that. problem is you're building already that dome shaped frame, attaching two screens instead of 1 doesn't double the cost, more like 10% more. also wouldn't surprise me if empty land in downtown london costs more per sqft than the building does

[@pikachuchujelly7628]

The Epcot sphere is pretty iconic but doesn't give off blinding light pollution like this thing.

[@Waddywoos360]

Assuming they're just going to give up £25million+ a year in advertising income on a building so expensive to construct and maintain is not realistic.

[@CommaV9414]

It can ONLY work in Vegas. I really don't know how anyone can imagine it otherwise. If they go through with it in London, it'll probably be vandalized

[@rexx9496]

Or Dubai

[@jyrrin]

@@rexx9496beat me to it That and Shanghai, and any other “tradition mixed with modernity” try-hard city.

[@nygeriunprence]

Nah it could work in Dubai, Bangkok, Macau. Definitely not London.

[@TheJonesdude]

Only gimmick one trick pony cities can try it. London is not one of those. There's a reason why it's in Vegas and not NYC or San Francisco. I can't think of anywhere in Europe that would accept it.

[@HiddenWen]

Nah，Shanghai and China in general is curbing these kinds of projects. It would work in Macau.@@jyrrin

[@loC2ol]

Ehhh as a Vegas local and someone who actually visited London for my first time this past summer. I’d say it would be a bad move. I think Vegas might be the only town that could pull it off. Stuff like that is our legit culture here in Vegas. We love it. We’re Gaudy, over the top, and we put on the best performances in the world. While London is one of the oldest metropolitans in the world with just a boatload of so much history, and wonderful stories and old architecture. I feel like it should lean into that. At least that’s the parts, as a tourist, I enjoyed the most.

[@theemperorofmankind3739]

I do think you are right. Vegas is the only place where something like this properly fits in. The only other two places I can think of that something like this might fit in would be Macau and Dubai but even then they do not hold the similar eccentric nature that Las Vegas has that fits this style.

[@G1NZOU]

As someone who lives less than an hour from London by train, I agree, tourists from the UK at least I know for a fact visit Vegas for exactly that, I haven't been but my brother has and had a great time. Some developers don't seem to have realised that we actually like different cities to have a uniqueness and not every development can be cut and pasted for every city.

[@Pastronomer69]

I hope this never goes through, this works for Vegas, Stratford is not Vegas

[@MattBDG]

Blackpool would suit?

[@dansands8140]

You can't stay in the 18th century forever.

[@mikeomatic9905]

But it could be! Not that anyone (who lives there) would want that...

[@KatharineOsborne]

Exactly. And if they keep popping up everywhere, that diminishes the 'specialness' of the Vegas one. It will no longer be a destination venue. The developer should be thinking up new ideas instead. Plus the Vegas one hasn't turned a profit. How much worse would it be to have one of these built then the company goes bankrupt and it just stands derelict for a long while?

[@MW_Asura]

@@dansands8140 It's with that mentality that the US destroyed its historical buildings too. Nobody's living in the 18th century in the UK

[@ohheyitskevinc]

Probably the worst idea ever envisioned for London. Not sure the CAA would give it the go ahead either given its proximity to LCY.

[@tomtucjr]

There are already taller buildings in the area so that likely wouldn't be a concern.

[@Wozza365]

@@tomtucjr those buildings don't give off the light pollution this thing would though.

[@ohheyitskevinc]

@@tomtucjr height wouldn’t be a concern - it’s the lighting. The FAA had issues with the sphere in Las Vegas over the same.

[@peanuts2105]

Clutching at straws pal. CAA won't give a monkeys

[@mrglide7078]

I dunno. I think the Garden Bridge was pretty shonky

[@fdapro1975]

As a Las Vegas resident, I can tell you it is visually amazing and often overwhelming. That being said, they lost over a billion on the construction and it will take years to break even. The fact that only one band has played it tells you all you need to know. Good for you London.

[@smiddlehurst1]

Umm, not really, U2 have a residence there until March doing three shows a week. Hardly surprising that no-one else is playing there while that's going on and, frankly, I think it's a very smart play by all concerned. One show for an extended period means they can focus their resources on fixing the inevitable snags that come with any new build, let alone one with this much tech in it. It gives the mob behind the sphere (hmm, probably shouldn't use that phrase for a Las Vegas project...) time to spin up their design teams to work with whoever's going in there next and ensures available days in the schedule to go and run in-progress visuals and other show elements that don't require dedicated staging. What'll be interesting is to see demand once U2 move out. Running shows here is going to need unique staging just for this venue so I'd expect to see relatively few acts but the ones that do go there run for reasonably long engagements.

[@hydralance8837]

We have also have sphere in Stockholm, Sweden. The Globe/Avichii arean as its called now is just much older and doesnt have LED lights all around it. It was the biggest sphere chaped building from 1989 to 2023 when The Sphere was finished.

[@TheVonMatrices]

Depending on who you ask, the building in Stockholm is still the largest spherical building. There is a debate about whether the Vegas Sphere is actually the largest spherical building since its spherical shape is only due to the LED panels surrounding the building. The concrete structure inside is somewhat jagged and only vaguely spherical. The Wikipedia article on largest spherical buildings has a huge debate in the discussion section, and the last time I looked, the moderators decided that the Vegas Sphere did not qualify as a spherical building.

[@vwings01]

I live in the Olympic park which is adjacent to this place. None of the people in the neighbourhood wants this. Also, as the video rightly points out, this is planned to be constructed extremely close to private residential properties and I'm pretty sure that the light pollution that this dome will bring in will cause issues with the people living here. This will also be an eyesore for people who wants to enjoy the Queen Elizabeth park as the proposed plans shows that this structure will be visible from the park. Not to mention that (if it does get constructed) the additional foot traffic that this venue will generate will cause havoc if an event coincides with a game at London Stadium.

[@liamness]

It makes so much more sense in Vegas where no-one actually lives within view of the Sphere, and there's rarely any cloud cover to reflect the light back down. Meanwhile in London, there are already residential buildings within 100m of the proposed site. London could do with another big dedicated concert venue but I don't see why it has to dump light pollution all over nearby parkland. Would make a mockery of the current attempts to keep lighting low to benefit wildlife. Congestion at Stratford is a concern too I agree. It really needs a big rebuild akin to what they did with London Bridge. The narrow tunnels under the platforms can get very busy, I can imagine they're actually quite scary for some people (e.g. if you're frail or petite) at rush hour. It's one of the most important interchanges in the whole of London now and hasn't seen the investment to reflect that.

[@vwings01]

@@liamness I completely agree. The Stratford station is not equipped to handle the extra traffic that this will bring in. I don't think that they would want people to drive there as the site itself is not big enough to have it's own parking space so I assume that they will have to use the parking in the Westfield Mall and Stratford shopping centre. Challenge is that both parking spaces are usually at max capacity during a normal weekend. Not to mention that once constructions start, they will have to section off the small road and traffic will have to be diverted away.

[@HALLish-jl5mo]

The stupid thing is, the point of the venue is the interior. The lights on the outside are just a gimmick. If they just didn't fit them, they'd save a fortune and eliminate half the opposition.

[@herpaderppa3297]

People and residents never want anything, no bridges, no stores, no shopping centers, no train stations, no trams, no busses, no streets ..

[@liamness]

@@herpaderppa3297 There's no opposition that I'm aware of to the massive East Bank development nearby. So definitely isn't the case that locals are just against building anything, you clearly don't know much about the history or present of the area.

[@DavidGreen1993]

I live in Stratford a 5 minute walk from (and within eyeline of) the proposed site. I'm as YIMBY as they come and this is literally my back yard but I really don't think it's suitable for the area. Apart from the livability reasons in the video, the station is the 5th busiest in the whole country with very little room to expand for more capacity and there's very little space around the site to have a construction site without disrupting the very busy railways which includes basically every train to and from Essex. The station is already unusable when the London stadium (used for the Olympics) is in use, and there's no extra capacity for parking either.

[@liamness]

Stratford needs an upgrade akin to London Bridge, with a big spacious underground concourse to replace the current claustrophobic tunnels. My understanding is that the DLR tracks would get in the way a bit. But something needs to be done. I think a big concert venue in this location would make sense, if they upgraded the capacity of the station, and also if the building didn't needlessly emit light pollution of course.

[@InnuendoXP]

@@liamnesswell that'd be an entirely different project & proposition by then, and I think the timelines for upgrading public transit capacity & infrastructure usually run quite a bit longer than building a a single events venue.

[@bastiaan7777777]

Since I don't live where you live, I say: Build it.

[@hedgehog3180]

I mean it's just hard to see what benefit it'd provide to the local community, and it is obvious that it'd become a nuisance.

[@bastiaan7777777]

@@hedgehog3180 It benefits the bank account of your local politician.

[@cinilaknedalm]

As a former Londoner, I see no benefit to this. It would just further water down what London is all about. Also feel really bad for those poor sods who gonna have a gigantic billboard shooting in their windows each day

[@krashd]

Jobs and investment have no benefits? Now I see why Stratford is a poverty-filled shithole with that attitude.

[@WestOfEarth]

I feel pretty naive for not realizing the Sphere in Vegas would be used for advertising. Such a cool, if outlandish, work of architecture debased to being a billboard.

[@Frostbiker]

It says a lot about modern times, doesn't it?

[@tasha7726]

@@Frostbiker Modern times? People have always been interested in making a buck🤣

[@selanryn5849]

It's Vegas, the tackiest city on Earth. Of course it's a giant billboard.

[@mharley3791]

Most of the art and buildings we think of awesome to today were made in their times to convey messages - advertising

[@teresabastuba6856]

It wouldn’t be economical if they didn’t advertise

[@TenshiR]

I’m betting it’s gonna cost more than £975mil. Planning never goes according to budget out in the UK.🧐

[@stereothrilla8374]

Or anywhere ever.😂😂😂 Let’s face it. This thing a tech hustle that will line the pockets of a select few.

[@TenshiR]

@@stereothrilla8374 exactly

[@Bxr12]

You’re not wrong. Look at HS2. My god the incompetence.

[@lachlancooke]

“It’s the worlds biggest sphere” - best sentence ever.

[@willrobinson4976]

He did say the London sphere will be smaller than the Vegas one.

[@Jwats96]

B1M flat earthers confirmed

[@electron8262]

Surely isn't the world... the biggest sphere?

[@harryhanz1690]

But isn't the world the world's biggest sphere?

[@manmaje3596]

@@harryhanz1690 The earth isnt a true sphere, the poles at either end of the earth are on a slightly flatter gradiant than the rest of the earth.

[@darcone]

It got rejected only 4 hours after this video came out 💀

[@faiz23]

Literally today they refused planning permission for this

[@LongbranchOlivetti]

Those are bold financial numbers given the Vegas dome was negative £80,000,000 in it's first quarter

[@smoketinytom]

They're just lies... Made up before Covid and haven't been updated since, in the hopes no one will notice.

[@BigDib18]

They just opened towards the end of the 1st quarter. Let’s see their financials after a full quarter of operating.

[@Cloxxki]

its* And they were open just one day the first month. Bad cherry picked examples don't help our argument. You make us all look utter fools by association.

[@sknkwrksowner]

Outside of the building tour and experience, only U2 is currently scheduled. Now that the F1 race drama is over, things will start to pick up over the next year. Cheapest ticket for U2 was around $400 and they are playing multiple dates through March 2024.

[@plmn93]

​@@CloxxkiThanks for the info. I had seen the stories but none of them mentioned this.

[@heyedddie]

I'm generally all for new and different architecture projects. But putting a "prestige" object like this in a place that isn't Vegas, should come with some obligations to the investors to help finance affordable housing projects nearby since they are taking away valuable space that could have been used for that.

[@lordmagic]

Absolutely no, its not private investors duty. Goverment can use increased tax revenue to build houses, but in London they will never be affordable anyway.

[@kingarthurslance]

FWIW the site has sat derelict since the Olympics and was specifically deemed unsuitable for housing as it is hemmed in by railway lines and commercial properties on all sides

[@liamness]

The existence of the Sphere as proposed in this location would also limit the development of housing in the area. Without it, the existing mid / low rise housing to the east would've probably eventually been replaced with taller and more modern blocks, increasing the availability and quality of housing in the area. But now any developers that might've previously been interested have to worry about trying to sell the merits of overlooking a gigantic glowing orb to potential buyers (the existing owners of flats to the south west seem not particularly thrilled by this prospect).

[@G1NZOU]

Absolutely, that's one reason I like the Shard, as part of that development they completely upgraded the London Bridge station, and it sits right next to the modern City Hall and More London development so even though it's tall it doesn't look out of place with a the mix of old and modern buildings in the area already.

[@tdyerwestfield]

I think just how insanely fascinating the sphere in Vegas is pretty much supersedes a lot of worries, but a 36% poverty rate in Stratford being ignored in favour of a 100 metre tall spherical billboard is abhorrent.

[@jrisner6535]

It would create a lot of jobs

[@ws1814]

So how is not building the sphere gonna help reduce the poverty?

[@tonymacaroni7458]

So you buy poor people houses, which creates ghettos instead of creating jobs for them to buy their own, and adding 3 bil a year to local economy. People these days are so entitled, then u got the other geniuses that wine about the bright light, man shut ur yaps, beats lookin out and seeing a train station, if u don't like it, get blackout curtains, gee that was difficult. You live in a city, which needs constant investments so the citizens who live there can update utility infrastructure, mass transit, clean renewable energy generating and storage, keeps a vibrant economy, u don't like it move to the country, reminds me of old people complaining about the weather, shuddup. Wahhh I don't wanna look at it. I hope they don't build it, and your neighborhood fast tracks into a slum, then you'll really be bitchin

[@shazanali692]

What will go in its place, more skyscrapers for Chinexse folks, the big tower next to it, has 90% Chinese students

[@mharley3791]

The sphere is financed by private money. The poverty rate is a job for the Uk government

[@marcushull12]

The estimated cost of the Vagas sphere was £963,000,000 and ended up costing £1,839,103,000, so you can at least double the London cost , Las Vegas Sphere Has Reportedly made a Loss of $98.4 Million USD Since It Opened.

[@Digephil]

0:10 "It's the world's biggest sphere...". The world: "Am I a joke to you?"

[@mattiagaggiato5937]

ohh right, the giant spherical shaped billboard that will be annoying for much of the day...what a wonderfull idea, i can't wait to have one near my house too

[@user-ds8rj2vc4v]

Yeah, I don't see how public advertisement is even legal in the first place. When you watch a film or TV or something, sure, you're accepting it as part of the service. Walking out in public you shouldn't be blasted with adverts when you don't get anything in return.

[@99Plastics]

but the internet traffic is high so the project is clearly fantastic and will translate really well. Just like the shard did lol

[@krashd]

I'd love to have one near me, we could really use the jobs and investment just like every other city outside of London. Londoners have everything on their doorstep and still they whine, I wish they could be proud of what they have like people from NYC, Tokyo, etc, but no - everything is an excuse for them to bitch about their lives.

[@user-ds8rj2vc4v]

@@krashd Nobody takes issue with it in most regards. The only issue, is that it acts as a giant luminous advertisement board for 75% of the day. Imagine, you buy a house, you save and work tirelessly to get onto the insane housing market. Now some billionaire, who has more money than God, just decide, screw it, I'm going to build a 100ft tall dome the shines bright advertisements the entire daytime. And they won't pay you for impacting your housing, instead, they say they'll buy you blackout blinds. Imagine that, the nerve of it. More of a slap in the face than anything else.

[@mattiagaggiato5937]

there are far better alternatives to gain jobs and investment than a giant billboard that will annoy the resident @@krashd

[@mothiurNCL]

Didn't the London Mayor reject the application for the sphere in London on the 20th November?

[@G1NZOU]

The first time I saw the capabilities of what the inside experience could be, I understood it. But the outside, I think it only really works in a place like Vegas, or maybe Singapore or Shanghai. A big sphere brightly lit suits cities who's major identity is being bright and modern. The outside being animated and so bright is just a bit too much for London, which is comfortable with the London Eye and a few other modern Landmarks, but still has to balance wide angle glamour shots with older buildings like the Palace of Westminster, the Bridges, St. Pauls, and the Tower of London with the modern, the Sphere would be too bright, too large, and too distracting, not to mention so close to the middle of London isn't ideal transport wise, we already struggle with big venues like ExCeL, the O2, and some of the older venues, it's not like Vegas which has loads of room, wide and expansive roads, and acres of car parking.

[@dhilboy231]

Now we just need a London City Grand Prix to go with it😅😅 start finish line down the Mall perhaps?

[@TheB1M]

💯 That would be awesome

[@lovequeen7080]

​@@TheB1M Cool video, but I have a serious question. Why are so many youtubers having sponsor commericials now? Viewers are paying subscriptions to not see ads. I seriously cannot understand why monetized videos with 3mill subscribers are doing this. Its driving viewers insane and it seems to only be getting worse. I find it rather disrespectful.

[@4rch13]

@@lovequeen7080 this has been the way for many years. Also - let's be very honest... whydo you think channels are sponsored? The B1M is a business. How do you expect to them to make money?

[@sabersz]

@@lovequeen7080 a fraction of KZbin users have Premium my friend. Even with that, it still doesn't send that much in the way of revenue to actual creators despite stating that more money per view goes towards KZbinrs if you're a Premium user. It isn't an issue of viewers, it's an issue of KZbin themself. The amount of money paid out has been crap for years, even with decent views. I know much larger channels than The B1M which have to do sponsorships, merch stores, etc.

[@louiscisse]

@@lovequeen7080 i mean I get your point but content creators are just trying to make money. I like the fact that channels like this one actually separate the ad read into its own video chapter so at least they’re clear and easy to skip

[@TheOtherSteel]

Now imagine multiple spheres in every city. Advertising blasted your way everywhere all day.

[@sknkwrksowner]

Guessing you've never seen Blade Runner or other Dick inspired sci-fi. lol It's just the way things get done in any non-communist country.

[@bokunogentoo4420]

It's already like that in a lot of major cities, we're lucky these new spheres don't _make sound_ yet

[@Game_Hero]

Isn't that what your phone is for?

[@Jademalo]

4 hours after the video was uploaded, the plans have been rejected by the Mayor of London.

[@Clippy4you]

what, really?!

[@joedowning2428]

Whilst I have my criticisms of the British planning system, I'm happy to see that they're properly scrutinising this monstrosity

[@fbiopenup6534]

Let's not, this legit sounds like a dystopia

[@bastiaan7777777]

Let's! Nice to visit London and watch it for 5 minutes.

[@dipeshp]

Already been rejected by the London Mayor citing light pollution.

[@HughNeylan]

According to the Mayor, who just declined the application; it isn’t being built. Unless Michael Gove calls in the decision it ain’t happening

[@wilsonator2008]

London doesn’t need its own sphere for entertainment and advertising purposes considering there’s Piccadilly Circus for the advertising, West End theatres, O2 arena, multiple sports teams in a variety of disciplines and multiple smaller independent places for gigs whilst arguably being the cultural hub of England. Las Vegas needed the sphere to attract people there as it’s basically one giant money pit that requires more and more people to show up by any means necessary.

[@will1255]

Fantastic project from a construction POV. I appreciate people sre getting frustrated with the housing snd financial debates that these projects stir up. But, can people please keep in mind that the B1M are covering these projects with the sole intention of showing the construction perspective! They provide a balanced outlook on the project and are not necessarily in support or not either way. Dont chastise them for covering interesting construction stuff! ❤️

[@mikeomatic9905]

Are people chastising B1M for this? All the critical comments I'm reading are criticizing the project itself. B1M presented the pros and cons of the project rather nicely I thought.

[@will1255]

@@mikeomatic9905 I agree, most of them are! But if you also see some of their posts on Instagram, other YT videos, and listen to their podcast, some of the criticism also seeps in towards the B1M. I guess I was just talking more generally in terms of what the channel represents as I think it's sad that their great work can be impacted by some of these thoughts and comments from people!

[@archie-127]

I wish this was an april fool

[@vikesh500]

This is a horrible idea. I live close to Stratford and I can honestly say that they’re killing East London slowly. Gentrifying and moving people out in droves- we saw it during the olympics and I can guarantee the same will happen with this project. Surely there’s an opportunity in Greenwich for this? There’s huge amounts of open space, rail and road links and a requirement for more tourist attractions besides the millennium dome.

[@UnbeltedSundew]

Pretty sure this would halt any gentrification in its tracks lol. No one would want to live there.

[@jamesmcdonnell5617]

Greenwich is a logical location, of course, but how about 'Leeds'? Assuming the business model works re tourism and advertising, it could fund the HS2 spur that was supposed to go there in the beginning. (Insert humour = joke & sarcasm)

[@_Tp__]

Ah yes, would love to see the monosodium glutamate sphere.

[@TheMrdominator1997]

From my sense the only issue is the jubilee line. If both the sphere and o2 have an event on. Imagine how long the queue at North Greenwich will take to clear

[@vwings01]

then imagine The Sphere, the O2 and London Stadium having an event at the same day. The Jubilee line will grind to a halt.

[@dmntwentyfive]

The only issue? There is a third relevant venue too - the London Stadium.

[@ColdHoops]

The sphere is what the O2 Arena 'should' be, but you can't have a building like that on water.

[@stevenirby5576]

Interesting location... While that is a super well-connected station. That is a valid complaint. It's pretty crowded already. Having 10s of thousands of more people a day there would be crazy.

[@marksnow7569]

The location is actually closer to Stratford "International"- used for Javelin shuttles in 2012- than to the main Stratford station.

[@liamness]

@@marksnow7569 How many people are going to come in from Folkstone for a concert in London though? The vast majority of attendees would come in via the main station.

[@marksnow7569]

​@@liamness Possibly true, but the line through Stratford Int. has another terminus in a slightly more populated area. Not that the question is relevant to the Sphere any more, but I suppose the site could be used for a different mid-scale entertainment venue, setting up a showbiz quarter with the Theatre Royal

[@isaacsearle2523]

Today, 20th November 2023, the Mayor of London has refused planning permission for the project, with a spokesperson saying 'London is open to investment from around the world...but the Mayor has seen independent evidence that shows the current proposals would result in an unacceptable negative impact on local residents.'

[@jmeMK64]

I go through Stratford station every day for work. There is absolutely no way the already packed train station could handle another venue on top of commuters, shoppers, Abba Voyage and West Ham fans. And the fact it's being built on the 'poorer' side Stratford is a massive slap in the face to people who were promised 'affordable' housing in wake of the Olympics

[@MithunOnTheNet]

I don't blame nearby residents in the apartments. That's too close!

[@bastiaan7777777]

They could have voted for different local political parties and their views...

[@birgerjarl4391]

London skyline really is a bunch of random shapes, a cirkel (london eye) a geerking, a cheesgrater, a shard, a pyramid skyscraper, a part sphere (02) and now a full spehere.

[@sknkwrksowner]

Banksy's sketchbook. 😂

[@craigtrompetter2261]

a really ugly city

[@variousthings6470]

I say we build more geerkings!

[@Game_Hero]

*circle

[@solssun]

For the local residents- the choice between advertisements or total lack of natural light should be breaking a few laws, no? As mentioned above, that really is abhorrent

[@joermnyc]

Reports are out that even with the U2 shows selling out, the revenue isn’t paying the bills to run the Sphere. That’s why they’re selling the outside for ads.

[@kenseitakesi4521]

Millions live in poverty and 100 of thousand people live in streets in england but we building massive sphere. Make sense to me

[@bastiaan7777777]

And how about the rest of the divided kingdom? Do they live in the streets? Or on the streets? And if you live on multiple streets, aren't you rich then?

[@raflamar4146]

Love how just a DAY after this video came out, it was announced that London Sphere was cancelled RIP original title "London is Building its Own Vegas Sphere"

[@exetrius2918]

I'm already annoyed at my local small LED billboards in town. Way too bright. That anyone thought this could be appropriate outside of Vegas is beyond me.

[@0RFLP0]

Building a second one solves the logistical challenge of needing custom visual production for just one location and pulling a crowd large enough to justify the costs. U2 is one of the only bands big enough to draw the crowds required for weeks at a time.

[@neatodd]

I'd like to know what the carbon footprint, for constructions and operation, is predicted to be for all of the construction projects covered by B1M

[@sknkwrksowner]

Fred mentions it if the building is certed GREEN, etc

[@HughNeylan]

This is one reason why the planning application has been criticised

[@the_lost_navigator7266]

It was reported elsewhere that the Vegas sphere uses as much electricity as homes for 40000 people!

[@sknkwrksowner]

@@the_lost_navigator7266 if you live near or have been to Vegas, you know that's an obviously mute point, right? Because, 'VEGAS: City of Lights'. 😂😝

[@selanryn5849]

@@sknkwrksowner The word is "moot," not mute.

[@stephenmortimer7303]

They have just turned down the planning permission

[@matt_plapp]

We went Sunday night and it’s unreal! Already booking another visit in January

[@KopCole]

A Sphere would need to make money, Blackpool is not going to attract the numbers required to pay it off. The only place this will attract numbers is London. We all thought the Millennium Dome would be a folly but it’s now the #1 music venue in the world (so I read), so the Sphere in the capital would attract so many events and people it would be amazing

[@shoppinmadnesz22]

*Ya the Sphere is cool, yet I'm still on the fence about whether it'd be good to keep it or not. **_I will admit_** it's a pretty apt structure for a place like Vegas in America, where everything looks incredibly modern, vapid, loud, and in-your-face. That being said, I don't think it fits into London where the landscape is more modest, cultured, and full of historical structures. Imagine having a gigantic, blindingly bright sphere smack dab in the middle. It'll look completely out of the place, plus it's such a waste of energy*

[@carlosdf9157]

I thought that the sphere in Las Vegas was losing lots of money bc entry is really expensive. It must be amazing to see anything inside but not a lot of people can pay for it so its not full all days. however is an amazing landmark. If it looses money there idk if its a good idea to build another in other places.

[@JamalMarzouki]

The irony of this building getting blocked the day you upload this

[@QueenetBowie]

Makes sense in Vegas, it’s near the Strip and honestly if you live near the strip you know what you’re getting into (bright lights, noise, crowds of people, etc.) Randomly building it in a residential district though, I feel for those residents. Also just seems like an odd place to build from the owner’s perspective.

[@sugar-lx1jz]

Here's a better idea: Why not keep building those beautiful classical buildings that everyone likes instead of these money wasting abysmal things.

[@HughNeylan]

The developer’s response to the application being rejected is that they will focus instead on working with “forward looking cities”. They have quite a narrow mind as to what forward looking means in my book.

[@AvalanchCXVII]

Ah yes, this is exactly what the UK needs to spend money on.

[@MrJACarroll]

It’s not the UK government that’s spending money building it you wet wipe.

[@altamashparwaiz2097]

Isint that msg spending ?

[@splashsand]

MSG spends money on it

[@thwales2520]

UK gov isnt spending a penny on it

[@yung_yahudi]

title may be confusing as it says "London builds sphere"

[@adamkehoe7405]

It just got blocked by the Mayor of London. 'on the grounds of excessive light pollution'

[@roywilliamson1567]

The Sphere works for Vegas because of where it's at, Dubai is the only other place I can think of that it would probably work.

[@dxtxzbunchanumbers]

Dolan can't get a decent Knicks team in the actual MSG, but he can can put shiny turds in two different cities 🙄

[@dominionscave4752]

And, err, ummm, what is the carbon footprint and power requirements of lighting up such a building, and how much will a ticket cost to go inside for one of its events ?

[@JuanDiaz-gm2fn]

Muy buen contenido en esta ocasión. Exelente Canal!

[@infamyinfamy]

I immediately knew it would be in Stratford. I like it. As for the MP asking about how Stratford train station will cope, it coped fine with the Olympics. There won't be an issue. I think it would be awesome, let them build it Khan!

[@abesouth3805]

The Mayor has vetoed this building.

[@aidenstanley7305]

Good.

[@h3rteby]

They should stipulate in the planning permission that they're not allowed to show ads. I think that would make all the difference between being cool and lame.

[@aspected]

It would then never get built. The ads are probably the reason it is being made.

[@mikeomatic9905]

While I'd rather look out my windows and not see ads, I still think I'd get annoyed having an ridiculously bright eyeball staring back at me every time I look outside.

[@TheRahsoft]

i think you will find its main undisclosed purpose is advertising. the indoor arena is just a side cost( side income) and the means to overcome planning objection..

[@weird-guy]

The ads is what going to subside the venue im almost 100% certain, the uk citizens should not allow this to get a green light

[@KatharineOsborne]

@@weird-guy I would be honestly shocked if Sadiq Khan approves this.

[@paran0ia7]

Really interested to see how it plays out; if MSG can get away with building one of these in a normal city then the floodgates will likely be opened. And I'm torn, because the venue itself is so genius and something I'd love to see become more widespread, but the exterior display? Super cool for about 5 seconds until what it's actually for sets in, then is just kind of depressing. For Vegas sure whatever, it's already a garish advertisement dystopia, and that's the whole point. Most other cities though would (or at least should) be incredibly embarrassed by the idea of a billboard being their biggest attraction, even if it happens to be a world-class venue sometimes too.

[@anthonystewart6523]

I can see very much the suggestion of a "Blade Runner" like dystopian view of the future as you seem to be infurring, but as a much older East Londoner, I tend to have a much more positive view of this new renaissance to the Eastend. Having grown up in Stratford's once posher/ prettier neighbours (Leyton and Leytonstone), I have seen the devastation brought by NIMBYism and the greed element of individuals who were so-called domestic residents, who then turned their once beautiful family homes into multi-occupancy residencies, for massive rental incomes that they can retire on, and the impact that has on any residential area. I have little or no compassion left for the bleatings of such people, after the degradation that has occurred to my once beloved childhood area, all using the very same arguments that I'm hearing now, losing projects and things that would have kept the vibrancy of an area alive.

[@GazMoby]

Very enjoyable as always 👍

[@extragjakovar]

I feel like something like that would fit into Australia. Definitely not the UK

[@pppparanoidddd]

oh god imagine the protests if they tried to do it in melbourne

[@sanuthweerasinghe7825]

@@pppparanoidddd it would more likely fit into sydney which is the gambling capital in the world when it comes to gambling losses per capita.

[@MrKevinWhite]

Gold Coast

[@rsfllw]

fortunately this has been rejected by the mayor of London today!! peronally I live pretty high up ~6 miles west of the site where it would have been and I can see the top of the ArcelorMttal Orbit which is 114.5 metres tall, the MSG sphere is 112 metres so pretty sure I would be able to see the absolute eyesore from my place, so yeah, I'd be moving too lol

[@Kazavop]

The last time a sphere that large appeared in london, a bunch of Daleks came out of it. We're good thanks 😅

[@Cookie2k]

This has to be the best channel on the internet! 😍

[@Danjuanfr]

What's the point of this if this is only turned on during the day? Not that I'd want that turned on all night next to me tho

[@unvergebeneid]

Wait, the largest screen is on the inside? Shouldn't the larger screen be on the outside of a spherical shell, kind of by definition?

[@maxg4304]

Definitely. The one inside is much higher definition though.

[@rankepicdino8194]

Its not a screen outside, they are LED lights,

[@DavJumps]

Not the answer you are looking for, but consider this: You can see the entire internal screen from any point inside the sphere. You can't see even half the outer screen from any point outside the sphere.

[@unvergebeneid]

@@rankepicdino8194 So where do you draw the line? Is what others commonly call an OLED screen not a screen then? Or does it have to be inorganic LEDs to be kicked out of the screen club? So once we have micro-LED "screens", those won't be _actual_ screens but just impostor screens? Please explain, because I'm clearly confused.

[@unvergebeneid]

@@DavJumps yes, I thought about that but however you want to phrase that fact, it becomes really uncatchy 😄

[@1mlister]

This news is very out of date. The planning application failed in November and the company have given up on the project in London

[@bigfluff73]

They just announced that the London sphere plan was rejected by the mayor

[@kingarthurslance]

I used to live a 10-minute walk away from the proposed site (moved away for work reasons) and it is just not accurate to describe central Stratford as a “mostly residential” area - the location of the Sphere is a currently derelict site in an area that already includes a giant football stadium, the nation’s best diving pool, two huge shopping centres, a viewing platform, under-construction museums, two cinemas and a theatre - residents who want ‘quiet living’ have had two decades to deal with the fact they live at the heart of one of the UK’s liveliest and fastest-developing entertainment districts. Concerns about light pollution are valid but could be easily assuaged with a 10pm switch-off, early dimming, and a restriction on commercial ads - all of which will almost definitely end up happening anyway once negotiations are over. As is, the existing view from overlooking developments is of large and brightly-lit entertainment/commercial spaces packed with logos and advertising hoardings, so it is simply not the case that it would ruin an otherwise picturesque setting. Most people in and around Stratford support the regeneration and the huge opportunities it has brought for the area.

[@liamness]

The site is an unused car park yes, but the surrounding area is residential. Only the side to the west with the shopping centre has commercial buildings, the other two sides of the triangular plot have residential buildings on the immediate other side of the rail tracks. There are flats with people already living in them who will be only 100m away, overlooking LEDs blasting into their windows unless they decide they're okay living their lives behind blackout curtains. Yes most people support the regeneration but it's odd to link that to the sphere, given so much of the area has already seen recent development that isn't connected with this project. The area wouldn't suffer if they built something else here (e.g. a massive concert venue that doesn't have a luminous billboard on the outside, perhaps).

[@garycook5071]

The construction site is totally within the residential area of Stratford Town

[@bastiaan7777777]

Democracy.

[@pfoe]

A monument to hubris.

[@Gentleman...Driver]

I like the Sphere, but I guess they were even better with propper planing. Like having some sort of barriers that prevents people on highways/motorways/main roads to get distracted. Or having a propper trainstation and a parking garage that can cope with the amounts of visitors you are expecting. And maybe, just maybe dont have residents next door? I dont know London too well, but in my home time there are some leftovers from the industrial age that they could transform into such a place. Developing an abandoned area in the city, and get rid off (maybe even dangerous) ruins.

[@GoonerMarv93]

The Mayor of London has just rejected the planning application

[@Greenpoloboy3]

Breaking: No its not going to be built. London Mayor

[@nevan2675]

I cannot believe that this passed the first stage of planning, what on earth is wrong with UK councils and planning decisions.

[@dmntwentyfive]

It sits in the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) jurisdiction, due to its location near the Olympic park. Every single representative from the local Councils rejected the plans, but the unelected members on the LLDC’s board unanimously approved and outnumbered the councillors.

[@nevan2675]

Thanks for clarifying, I've always wondered how regular council people would ever vote for something like this to happen. Turns out they don't. @@dmntwentyfive

[@slix88]

Very timely. The application was rejected today by Sadiq Khan

[@2011blueman]

I love the sphere in Vegas. It's incredible to see in person. That said, there is no way I'd allow the thing to be built in my neighborhood.

[@lucy_harris]

Having to travel past Stratford into London, the train station WOULD NOT be able to cope AT ALL with the capacity it currently holds. It’s already busy enough at peak times and this would make it an actual nightmare to travel through.

[@faustinpippin9208]

gov: houses for people? meh fixing patholes? meh better healthcare system? meh a useless vanity project? OMG TAKE MY MONEY!

[@Hugo-BB]

That's gutting their are not building it. I don't think the location is right. However, I think the UK should get one as it will generate money and growth in the UK.