THE SPHERE LIGHTS UP LAS VEGAS

IN A CITY FILLED WITH BRIGHT SHINY OBJECTS, NOTHING CATCHES THE EYE MORE THAN THIS $2.3 BILLION DOME

- MICHAEL KAPLAN

The helicopter rises above Las Vegas Boulevard, starting a cruise from one end of the Strip to the other. Its mission is to highlight the cool, saucer-like Allegiant Stadium, the site for Super Bowl LVIII, but the inadvertent show-stealer on this jaunt is something else altogether, something newer and much more futuristic: the Sphere. Funky, cutting edge and robed in technology, the 366-foot-tall, 875,000-square-foot domed structure—the world’s largest spherical building, built for an eye-popping $2.3 billion—is an apt addition to America's gambling mecca. Situated just east of the Strip, and a chip's throw away from Sin City's riot of neon and familiarly logoed hotel facades, the Sphere's cheeky exterior provides a glimpse into an ever-evolving city's coming century. It's been the talk of the town since it opened last September.

"The Sphere is mesmerizing," says Steve Hill, CEO of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. "You can't take your eyes off it, and it brings attention to the entire city. It's a phenomenal addition to the Las Vegas skyline."