Located in the lobby of the Comcast Technology Centre in Philadelphia, USA, the Universal Sphere is an innovative venue for the telling of inspirational stories. Designed by the Foster + Partners Advanced Polymetric Team, the tessellated effect on the outer surface was created within the surface patterning of each individual panel and also through the precise spacing between panels. The design carefully avoided continuous lines, creating a futuristic yet intriguing structure.

The sphere stands at 10.5 metres tall, with a diameter of 11.8 metres. The outer shell comprises 127 FRP panels which are mounted on a segmented steel frame, all manufactured and test built in our workshops.
Inside the giant orb, visitors are seated twenty-five at a time, on a Spiralift platform. As the platform raises, they are enveloped within an overhead screen that plays a seven-minute film. Directed by Steven Speilberg, the film tells the stories behind a series of innovative ideas and aims to inspire the human spirit.