The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) confirmed on Friday that it wants to build the Sphere, a glazed orb with up to 18,000 seats and room for 5,000 standing, beside the Olympic Park in east London.

Designs of a similar “sphere” planned for Las Vegas suggest that the vault of the roof will become a giant screen for vast projections, which could evoke the sensation of being underwater or in a forest. — The Guardian

London’s suggestive skyline already boasts a Gherkin, a Walkie Talkie and a Cheesegrater. Soon they may be joined by the Golf Ball. According to plans seen by the Guardian, a giant glass sphere taller than St Paul’s Cathedral could be built next to the Olympic park in east London. [...]

One design visualisation shows that the lower half of the orb would be fitted with tiered seating, while the upper half would form a spectacular vaulted roof. — The Guardian

According to the team, the designs for both the new and temporary venues and facilities ‘will seek to shape and integrate sporting spectacles in the city’s urban landscape while supporting Paris 2024’s commitment to be the most sustainable games ever’. — The Architects' Journal

Located in Kansas City, architecture firm Populous did the design for Citi Field where the Mets play and the renovation design for Kauffman Stadium for the Royals. For them, this World Series provided a platform for what the firm do for both ground-up design and ballparks that have preexisted. [...]

Populous will assuredly continue to be the main player in sports facility design. Having both Citi Field and Kauffman Stadium hosting games helped showcase why. — forbes.com

On Tuesday, the City of Los Angeles announced that the team of Populous and HMC Architects had been selected to design the $350 million expansion of the Los Angeles Convention Center, beating out other proposals from teams lead by Gensler and AC Martin. — urbanize.la

Since construction began in 2011, Populous just announced the opening of the Philippine Arena in Manila, Philippines. Commissioned by Iglesia Ni Cristo (the Church of Christ), the structure is described to be the world's largest indoor arena and will be able to accommodate up to 50,000 people. The arena was also designed to host a variety of church gatherings and major entertainment events. — bustler.net

[...] I saw a Populous stadium in Hong Kong I liked once with these two big arches. And it opened from end zone to end zone.

And so we started to go off of that particular path, opened up the ends of the building so that you could see the sea and the mountains. [...] And it developed then into what you now see as the stadium that is right there for the games. — hereandnow.wbur.org

Olympic stadiums are nothing new for Populous, the global practice known for designing some of the world's iconic sports venues. With the Sochi Winter Olympics a few days away, we'll give a little headstart with a glimpse into Fisht Olympic Stadium -- which Populous was selected to design in 2009 -- before it makes its debut at the Opening Ceremony. — bustler.net

Dubai won the bid to host the World Expo 2020, being the first Middle Eastern city selected in the Expo's 160-year history. HOK, in partnership with Populous and Arup, led the design team that developed the master plan, themed "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future." Their proposal won against those from Brazil, Russia, and Turkey.

The 1,082-acre (438-hectare) Expo site is equidistant from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, next to the new Al Maktoum International Airport and near the Jebel Ali Port. — bustler.net

The design proposal by Populous and Ateliers 2/3/4/ for the new Grand Stade Rugby Stadium in Paris has emerged victoriously over two competing entries. The announcement was made by the Steering Committee of the French Rugby Federation (FFR) after several months of discussions and reviews. — bustler.net

"The Falcons and the Authority have reviewed the Statements of Qualifications received in response to the RFQ, and the Authority has selected the following firms to be finalists and eligible for further consideration (listed alphabetically):" — Georgia Procurement Registry

The 'Stadium of Tomorrow' design competition, sponsored by global stadium architecture specialist Populous to mark the completion of the design of its first major sports stadium in Korea, attracted more than 250 teams from all over Korea. [...] The stadium had to be transformable/moveable/demountable. — bustler.net

In London's case the practicality of the architecture is a reaction to the economic rather than the political excesses of the recent past. The 2012 Games are shaping up, in fact, as one of the clearest signs yet that the architectural boom years of the last decade or so in the West have definitively ended. — latimes.com

Construction has commenced on the world’s largest indoor arena, designed by Populous, in Manila, Philippines. In a ground breaking ceremony held last week, the arena design was described as a ‘phenomenal structure’. — bustler.net

Architecture firm Populous is now playing for both sides in the contest to bring pro football back to Southern California.

The firm, already the architect of record for the 75,000-seat NFL stadium planned for east Los Angeles County, has been hired to do work on a rival proposal that sports and entertainment firm AEG wants to build on downtown Los Angeles' convention center campus, AEG said Wednesday. — mercurynews.com