Emily Siwek, Sphere Trending Trend Futurist, Director of Architectural Design
As future thinkers, we are always on the lookout for trend indicators – patterns and groupings that feel fresh and relevant. Lately, we’ve been seeing sphere popping up everywhere (and just in time for the total solar eclipse)!
Sphere Trending was founded to ‘connect the dots’ between big picture macro shifts, consumer engagement, and design and product implications. The sphere shape is close to our hearts and minds and reminds us to think ‘outside the circle’. Here are a few of the recent spheres we’ve seen popping up!
New from Hansgrohe, the ‘Sphere’ pictured below stands for “wellness and waterless regeneration.” A new sensory experience for the bathroom that takes the place of a long soak while providing the same sense of relaxation and refreshment.
At the Toronto Pearson airport, an art installation titled “Tilted Spheres” by the late Richard Serra creates space with curved steel walls creating a striking visual effect but also creates a more intimate acoustic area buffering the noise from the surround spaces.
The ‘A’s baseball team in Las Vegas have revealed plans for a new stadium shaped like a “Spherical Armadillo” in Las Vegas, designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group. The playful structure will include a 33,000-seat park enclosed by a roof with “the world’s largest cable-net glass window” letting in natural light and providing a city view.
Lastly, the Las Vegas ‘Sphere’ has become a new iconic element in the city, projecting visuals across a seamless dome. We recently saw it up close and in person at the CES and IBS/KBIS tradeshows and love how the immersive venue shakes up traditional entertainment.