Anyone who’s made it to Dubai has definitely raved about all of what the city has to offer. Some travelers do have one big complaint – that they may not have quite enough time to see everything the palatial metropolis has to offer. However, a new attraction might even take that complaint out of their hands.
Starting today, visitors can take a picturesque tour of Dubai simply by entering The Sphere, which is located at the posh Dubai Mall. Attendees will no doubt marvel at The Sphere before they even enter – the spherical projection theater stands in at 49 feet within the Star Atrium of the shopping complex. Your senses are further heightened as you enter via a staircase draped in red carpet. Once inside, people can access a special viewing bridge that’s fixated 22 feet above ground within the theater. They’re then treated to films shot entirely in 360-degree view that showcase Dubai’s wonders, such as riding within the Dubai Metro for instance. Other films include a tour of the Al Jahili Fort and a breezy tour down Dubai’s coast. Each film runs for about three and a half minutes in length, and visitors are encouraged to turn around in every direction to get the full scope. Most of the footage was shot from the pinnacle of the Burj Khalifa tower.
The technology of The Sphere is monumental; this is the world’s biggest cityscape tour that is both online and interactive. It’s also the first ever such experience in the Middle East. The immense golf-ball shaped theater holds 18 projectors set to operate simultaneously. The exhibition is the brainchild of two companies, Dubai360 and Dubai Film. Dubai360 is a company and website formed over the course of 18 months, which saw the group accumulate 1,300 clips of photos and video footage shot in panoramic view. Interested parties can visit the website for a more extensive library of 360-degree shots of the city & its surrounding sights. Al Hashmi, the project manager said, The launch of Dubai360 has established new standards for how we view a city.” The sphere itself was built by Obscura Digital, based in San Francisco, California. Obscura has hinted that this could be just the beginning of collaborative efforts with Dubai360 for other projects. In short, The Sphere is open only until March 18th. But future visitors may not need to fret; there are preliminary discussions underway to make theaters like the Sphere a more permanent fixture.
