Foster+Partners and Immersive have joined forces with Steven Spielberg to create a digital entertainment experience for the Comcast Technology Centre in Philadelphia. Immersive - recognised as a world leader in the design and production of experimental media installations - conceived the installation having been approached by Foster + Partners in 2016 to create a multimedia experience that would embody the Comcast Technology Centre’s focus on innovation.

The Universal Sphere brings together cutting-edge design and the guiding hand of Steven Spielberg to create a 360-degree dome installation that offers a shared VR experience, demonstrating the future of cinema.

Following a concept design by Immersive founder John Munro and Spielberg, Foster+Partners began developing an initial structural design. During a seven-month process, Immersive assembled the technical framework for the installation and assembled the main fabrication and construction vendors to complete the project. Foster+Partners’ work on the outer shell geometry and all physical aspects of the sphere created a structure that sits next to the works of artists Conrad Shawcross and Jenny Holtzer.

“We look forward to many future collaborations with Foster+Partners as we continue to develop Immersive Storytelling as an entertainment medium,” said John Munro, the founder of Immersive. 

The scheme opened its doors in May with screenings of Spielberg’s seven-minute film The Power of I.

Via ArchDaily | Images © Corey Clarke