The MSG Sphere, a controversial auditorium and music globe designed by Populous, has been given full planning permission by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC). If built, the Sphere would tower 90m above Stratford, London, and in addition to the auditorium, would include a nightclub, bars, restaurants, cafés, shops and parking. The sphere would boast the “largest and highest resolution LED screen in the world” – in the form of

The number of registered visitors to Dubai's Expo 2020 has passed 10 million. Expo 2020, which was, as the name suggests, originally scheduled for 2020 but had to be moved due to the pandemic, is the largest major global event to be held since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition to physical visits, the Expo's digital platform had seen 37 million visits by 27 December 2021. The Expo

The historic San Siro football stadium in Milan could be demolished to make way for a brand new stadium, following a decision by Italian heritage authorities. According to the Superintendency of Cultural Heritage of Lombardy (SCHL), San Siro has "no cultural interest" and there is no heritage-based objection for it to be razed to the ground. The venue is the home for Milan's two Serie A giants – Internazionale and

The world's largest cricket stadium, designed by Populous, has been inaugurated in India. The Motera Stadium, officially the Sardar Patel Stadium, located in the western state of Gujarat in the city of Ahmedabad, was constructed over the course of three years at a cost of $100m (€89m, £77m). Andrew James, lead architect and senior principal at Populous, said: “Cricket is the biggest sport in India and this stadium has been

As part of the renovation of the Seattle Center Arena, Rockwell Group have unveiled new renderings showing a number of the interior spaces it is creating with a distinctly premium look. Designed in 1962 by architect Paul Thiry as the Washington State Pavilion for the World’s Fair, the 750,000sq ft (70,000sq m) venue ultimately became used for ice hockey and events. It is currently undergoing redevelopment by Populous "to re-position

Foundation work is ongoing and steel work is due to commence at FC Cincinnati ’s West End Stadium, for which new designs were released by Populous this summer. The club briefed Populous, who are working with engineers BuroHappold, to deliver “an iconic and groundbreaking design for the city while prioritising and amplifying the fan experience.” With that in mind, the firm included a vertical façade of 513 fins lit by

Sports stadium and events venue experts Populous have unveiled designs for the largest video gaming and esports complex in the Southern Hemisphere. Covering 2,700sq m (29,100sq ft), spread across two floors and with a capacity for over 1,000 people, Fortress Melbourne will house a purpose-built arena with a retractable 200-seat grandstand, a professional boot camp room and training facilities, dedicated areas for LAN, RPG and tabletop gaming, two bars and

Plans have been approved for a 19,000-seat, multi-use indoor arena in Belmont Park on Long Island, New York. The US£1.3bn venue is set to become the new home of National Hockey League (NHL) franchise New York Islanders. As well as the indoor arena, the project includes a 350,000sq ft entertainment complex and a 250-bedroom hotel. The plans were approved by the Empire State Development Board – the New York state

The Coca-Cola Arena – a 17,000-capacity sports venue designed by global architecture practice Populous – has opened its doors in Dubai. Boasting an adaptable structure with an LED-clad façade, retractable seating, and a modular stage, the new facility also features over 35 dining outlets and 42 corporate suites. The building – said to be the Middle East's largest multi-purpose arena – is Populous' first project to be completed in the

Work has begun on the long-anticipated HK$30bn (US$3.2bn, €3.4bn, £2.9bn) Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong. Designed by global architecture practice Populous, the sprawling complex is expected to "set a new benchmark for sports, entertainment, and recreation precincts worldwide". The park will comprise 28-hectares of state-of-the-art facilities and leisure areas, including a 50,000-capacity stadium (dubbed the "Pearl of the Orient"), indoor and outdoor sports centres, a 40-lane bowling hub,

The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) has submitted plans to the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) for the MSG Sphere – a multi-use entertainment complex slated to become the city's largest music venue. The 21,500-capacity arena will be situated on a 4.7-acre site in Stratford and play host to a variety of events, such as concerts, conferences, and sporting matches. Its campus will also comprise restaurants, parks, retail areas, a

Architecture practice Populous have teamed up with Comcast Spectacor and The Cordish Companies to create the Fusion Arena – a US$50m (€44.2m, £37.7m) competition venue for professional video game players. Set to rise at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, the 60,000 sq ft (5,574 sq m) arena will be able to accommodate up to 3,500 spectators and offer a slew of training facilities, studios, and streaming rooms for competitors. Fusion

The £1bn (US$1.3bn, €1.1bn) Tottenham Hotspur stadium – reportedly the largest club ground in London – has finally thrown open its doors to fans. Designed by global architecture firm Populous, the new attraction can accommodate over 62,000 people and features a 40-metre climbing wall, hotel, and multiple dining outlets. The structure, which took three years to complete, also has a retractable pitch with an astroturf field to host National Football

Esports Stadium Arlington, the largest video gaming stadium in North America, has opened in Texas. Designed by international architecture firm Populous and built by Shawmut Design and Construction, the new 100,000 sq ft (929 sq m) facility features eight tea rooms, a player lounge, and a competition space amplified by surround sound. The venue, which will be able to accommodate up to 2,500 people, will also utilise broadcasting technology supplied

International architecture design firm Populous have released conceptual images of its Gaming House of the Future, a multilevel recreational hub for professional esports gamers. Designed to be both a customised home away from home and a training facility, the new two-tower complex is a kind of incubation venue for talent and features a wealth of amenities intended to both sharpen and increase players' video game skills and wellbeing. In the

Global architecture and design practice Populous has opened an office in the Dubai World Trade Centre, its first in the Middle East and Africa (MENA) region. The move coincides with the company’s additional announcement at the beginning of the week that it would also open an office in Dallas. Ben Vickery, senior principal and Dubai office lead, said: “Establishing an office in the Gulf will enable Populous to be closer

The Brisbane Transit Centre – often cited as the Australian city’s ugliest building – is to be demolished to make way for a metro station and leisure district, dominated by an entertainment area from architects Populous. The project was confirmed in last week’s Queensland State Budget 2018-9, with deputy premier and treasurer Jackie Trad pledging that “the western gateway to the city will be totally transformed.” When complete, the new

The first renderings have been released showing what the Madison Square Garden Company’s (MSG) striking spherical entertainment venue will look like in London. Designed by Populous, the MSG Sphere London has been conceived as the conglomerate’s first international arena, and an “iconic venue that will feature game-changing technologies and pioneer the next generation of transformative, immersive experiences.” It will host concerts, live shows, expos, esports and other large-scale events. MSG

Populous are working on the largest esports arena in the US – a flexible 100,000sq ft (9,300sq m) venue in the City of Arlington, Virginia. The global sport and entertainment architecture firm are converting the Arlington Convention Center into the Esports Stadium Arlington – a facility designed to draw competitive players and fans from around the world. The City and investment firm Esports Ventures will together invest US$10m (€8m, £7m)

English football club Fulham FC has announced that its plans to redevelop the Riverside Stand at its Craven Cottage stadium have been approved following a planning hearing at London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Construction work on the new stand, which will raise the overall capacity of Craven Cottage to around 30,000, is set to commence by the summer of 2019. Sports architects Populous are behind the design, which club

English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur has revealed new images of its forthcoming home at White Hart Lane, which it has billed as “the most unique sports and entertainment destination in Europe”. In a move to promote its launch of season ticket sales, of which 42,000 are available, the club has today (12 March) released visualisations of the stadium’s seating bowl, walkways and hospitality facilities. The renderings give a glimpse

Seattle’s former Key Arena is to undergo a US$600m (€491.7m, £435m) renovation courtesy of architects Populous, in a bid to reposition the facility as the premier sports and entertainment destination in the US northwest. Development firm Oak View Group (OVG) has released renderings illustrating its plans for the venue, which is situated in the Seattle Centre next to the Space Needle. Populous will retain the building’s landmark Paul Thiry-designed roof

The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) has announced ambitious plans to bring a vast, spherical music and entertainment venue to London, and claims it will “change the nature of live events.” Making the announcement at a presentation in New York, MSG’s executive chair and CEO, James L. Dolan, confirmed the company intends to make the UK capital the home of its first international property, and has completed the purchase of

Sports architecture firm Populous will design a 365-day stadium for Didier Drogba’s US football franchise Phoneix Rising FC, which has ambitions of joining Major League Soccer (MLS). Local design firm Gould Evans will collaborate on the project, which the club has described as “a world-class venue that serves fans and the broader Phoenix community as a full-scale entertainment destination”. Phoenix Rising FC is co-owned by former Chelsea and Ivory Coast

As a new year approaches, CLADglobal brings you our list of some of the most anticipated leisure buildings expected in 2018, from museums and science centres to spas, stadiums and health resorts. V&A Dundee by Kengo Kuma In Scotland, the long-awaited £80m (US$103.7m, €92m) V&A Dundee is set to open before the year’s end as part of the city’s revitalised waterfront. The flagship museum will host major exhibitions, celebrate design

Fulham Football Club has submitted an application to the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Council for the redevelopment of the Riverside Stand at its historic Craven Cottage home. New renderings released by Populous show how the stand has been designed with “an iconic roof design” to better connect with the river. Sports architects Populous are behind the proposals, which club chair Shahid Khan claims will “transcend the customary standards

Global sports architects Populous have designed a flat-pack 18-hole putting course that can be disassembled and moved from city to city. The touring facility is the brainchild of Canadian firm MSOP Entertainment Inc, which has launched a new tournament called the Major Series of Putting (MSOP). The sport of putting, developed and largely controlled by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté, is a much-simplified version of golf, in which players