London's controversial new entertainment arena to take the shape of a glowing orb

This globe could be straight from the set of Blade Runner, but it will actually become London’s most ambitious arts and entertainment space.

The MSG Sphere, named after developer Madison Square Gardens Company, is being promoted as a “powerful, immersive, multi-sensory environment” equipped with game-changing technology.

Yet there are concerns that the futuristic venue won’t live up to the hype, lacks cultural sensitivity and is being led by a billionaire businessman with ties to Donald Trump and Harvey Weinstein.

MSG chief executive and New York Knicks basketball team owner James Dolan funded Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016 and has since kicked in further funds to see him re-elected in 2020, the New York Daily News revealed in January.

Despite this, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has criticised Trump’s views on Islam and terrorism, has welcomed the MSG Sphere. In a statement released by MSG, Khan says the new arena will add to London’s buzzing music scene.

“It’s great to welcome another world-class venue to the capital, to confirm London’s position as a music powerhouse and to boost still further our city’s thriving night-time economy,” he says.

Meanwhile, the MSG chief executive has his sights set on building similar spheres at other world-renowned cities. The company has proposed a sphere for Las Vegas that will have seating for 18,000 and standing room for 5000. Seating capacity at the London venue is still being finalised, but the company hopes to submit all planning applications by the end of the year.

Architects Populous – best known for designing stadiums such as Yankee Stadium and the London Olympic Stadium – have been charged with creating London’s MSG Sphere. Early images released by the architectural firm show the exterior of the futuristic globe covered in digital screens, which will be used to promote upcoming performers.

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Inside, audiences will be wowed by what MSG describes as “the largest and highest-resolution media display on earth”. London’s sphere will be located on a two-hectare site adjacent to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the site of the city’s 2012 Olympic games. The area is fast becoming known as Olympicopolis – a £1.3 billion ($23.8 billion) cultural precinct that includes a new Victoria and Albert Museum, Sadler’s Wells theatre and a campus for the London College of Fashion.

MSG has dived into London’s hive of architectural activity, promising to fill what it claims is a gap in the city’s live entertainment scene.

Research by music strategists Sound Diplomacy, commissioned by MSG, claims that London has fewer large arenas relative to population size than other major cities, including Paris and New York.

In a statement, Dolan says the sphere will complement London’s existing venues by expanding booking options and allowing more artists to perform in the city.

But one of Australia’s leading architects has raised doubts over the project, questioning its financial viability and cultural fit.

Deakin University chair in architecture Professor Des Smith, of Melbourne, says the project is more a brand than an icon. “This becomes a brand rather than an icon because MSG creates two of them and then they might do another one and another,” he says.

Prof Smith says the project would require millions in funding and by the time it’s completed, runs the risk of using outdated technology.

“That building’s going to take two or three years to build, at least, so the technology they plan it for will, let’s face it, be out of date by the time they finish it.”