The Sphere Held Its Breath By RANDY REID
Concealed cove lines and individually addressable fixtures— run with pixel-level control—wash the performance bowl’s ribbed arches in amber, making the architecture itself the light show. Photo credit: Randy Reid
When my wife and I stepped into the Sphere, the first thing that hit us was how warm and muted everything looked—like the whole place was lit at around 1800K with a very nice and relaxing glow. I’d walked in fully expecting to be blasted with wild, swirling emerald greens—that electric Wicked Witch of the West energy. I know what this lighting system can do, and it was disappointing to see that it was not being used to its fullest extent. The kind word is … calm. The honest word is boring. It was only after the show that I realized the brilliance of the lighting.
36
designing lighting
Going up the escalator, The Wizard of Oz logo was projected onto a screen consisting of small fans, which gives the picture a 3D effect. Tivoli products appear in several lighting applications throughout Sphere. We were early, so on our way to the seats, we visited the Radius Bar featuring Tivoli’s Flexile LG System with its 360° uniform illumination, creating uninterrupted lines that accentuate the ceiling’s curves and contours and help shape the bar’s visual identity. Finally, some exciting lighting! We got to our seats around 7:30 for the 8 p.m. show. Walking