Project Profiles

Enclosing the World’s Largest Spherical Structure

CENTRIA^®, leading innovator and manufacturer of the world’s most advanced building envelope wall and roof panels, recently played a critical role in enclosing The Sphere at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, completed by Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corporation.

Standing 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide, MSG Sphere is the largest spherical structure in the world. Designed by Populous, it features a 580,000-square-foot LED wrap-around exterior, covered in 1.2 million LED lights. The venue will seat 18,000 spectators for live music, sporting events, and other live entertainment.

CENTRIA’s involvement began early in the design phase as the project team needed an enclosure to meet the challenging geometry of the sphere. With LED lighting on the exterior, CENTRIA panels were selected as a modifiable material that would serve as a backup system for the standing seam metal panels on the exterior.

“CENTRIA was able to get involved early in the design phase and work out details along with [the installer] CrownCorr," said Brian Finnegan, regional manager, CENTRIA. “When you start going off the vertical plane and spanning away from traditional rectangular buildings, you need a material that is modifiable.”

CENTRIA supplied more than 340,000 MetalWrap Long Span Series insulated composite backup panels in Light Gray, Graphite Gray, and Gray Aluminum to clad the entire structure with both horizontal and vertical profiles. MetalWrap exterior composite wall panels are a flexible option to provide air, water, moisture, and thermal performance in a singular component. MetalWrap consists of two steel skins permanently bonded to a poured-in-place foam insulating core, eliminating the need for multiple barriers. Backed by a 10-year weathertight warranty, MetalWrap guarantees quality and performance assurance in comparison to traditional materials."

“CENTRIA could eliminate the need for additional studs, supports, thermal and weather barriers with a one-shop insulated foam panel,” said Finnegan. “Since this is a backup wall system that will eventually be covered by standing seam panels, the MetalWrap was an easily modifiable material that could meet all thermal, air vapor, and moisture protection.

CENTRIA’s IW Series Concealed Fasteners, Versawall, Exposed Fastener BR5-36, and Style-Rib were also used on several pedestrian walkways that led from the Venetian Hotel to the MSG Sphere. Style-Rib was used for the roof enclosure in Graphite Gray.

Construction was completed on the MSG Sphere in July 2022 and is set to open in Las Vegas on September 29^th with U2 performing a 25-show residency.

In coordination with CENTRIA, the project team included architect Populous, installer CrownCorr Inc, and construction manager MSG Entertainment Co.