is a tiny version of the las vegas sphere coming to los angeles’s sunset boulevard?

tiny las vegas sphere replica may land at 8410 Sunset Boulevard

Las Vegas’ iconic and monumental Sphere may be getting its own tiny replica at 8410 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, dubbed The Sphere on Sunset. Proposed by SAEE Studio, the design is envisioned to take shape as a spherical glass volume wrapped in two LED billboards and hovering above a green public plaza. The architectural team presented their proposal to the West Hollywood Planning’s Design Committee on November 9th, with an ambitious request to demolish an existing café, newsstand, and two digital screens to make room for a new 15-meter wide glass Sphere, a 223 sqm pedestrian hub right underneath it, and a 125 sqm rooftop terrace doubling as a viewing platform, and a broadcast studio on the second floor, dedicated to podcast productions. Completing the design is a vivid green wall encasing the ground floor’s walls. 

all renderings © SAEE Studio

an architectural ‘folly’ and public realm activator

While disruptive in its proposal, SAEE Studio (see more here) envisioned the Sphere on 8410 Sunset Boulevard as a public realm activator, an architectural ‘folly’ that would bring a sense of discovery and awe to the West Hollywood community. ‘The site and the Sphere are an important part of the Public Realm Enhancement of this proposal. Driving down Sunset Boulevard, one is confronted with something exceptional, mysterious, and unanticipated. A floating, glowing glass sphere creates an experience that surpasses the ordinary. The sight of the transparent, translucent, delicate construct sitting among the hard-edged cubical giants elicits surprise and curiosity. Each person engages with the Sphere at different levels of curiosity and discovery,’ the proposal reads (you can access the full brief here). 

the Sphere ‘replica’ would take shape at 8410 Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood

view corridor from the North

second-floor broadcast studio

project info:

name: The Sphere on Sunset

location: 8410 Sunset Boulevard,West Hollywood 

architect: SAEE Studio 

owner: Sunset View Plaza LLC.

structural engineer: Nous Engineering 

mechanical engineer: SPEC Group Inc.

civil engineer: Obando & Associates Inc.

landscape architect: SQLA 

graphic consultant: Hunt Design

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