An orb-shaped digital billboard has been proposed along the Sunset Strip — a high-profile retail and hospitality corridor in Los Angeles County — as demand grows for high-tech outdoor advertising.
The project, called Sunset Sphere, would rise at 8410 Sunset Blvd. next to the Best Western hotel in West Hollywood, and the development's plans are headed to a public meeting on Thursday, according to city documents. The 1.7-mile Sunset Strip is known for its numerous billboards featuring international fashion brands and other companies.
The sphere would replace digital billboards already at the site, according to city documents. Sunset Sphere would be 49 feet in diameter with a glass structure along with pedestrian-oriented amenities and spaces in and around the orb.
The structure would be suspended from an adjacent apartment building and would have three floors. The orb may rise roughly 8 feet above a plaza that has seating areas beneath. The space below the sphere would be open to the public. SAEE Studio, based in Los Angeles, is the project's architect, according to city documents.
Sunset Sphere may cost between $2 million to $3 million to build, said Joe Shooshani, who is a part owner of the property. Shooshani said he has been working on the plans for years and hopes to attract a TV network to do live broadcasts inside the globe. The orb, with a TV network, may draw more attention to Sunset Strip to make it the Times Square of the West Coast, Shooshani said.
"We want to do something to enhance Sunset," Shooshani said.
The proposed sphere is the first project that combines a building and billboard in West Hollywood, but the city expects others, according to city documents. West Hollywood is an independent city located in Los Angeles County's Westside region.
Meanwhile, a much larger sphere that's 366 feet tall opened earlier this year in Las Vegas. That orb, which doubles as a live event venue, is wrapped in video screens and has attracted international attention.
Beyond billboards, Sunset Strip is known for its retailers. Celebrity and fashion figure Kim Kardashian plans to open the first brick-and-mortar location for her company, Skims, at 8569 W. Sunset Blvd. Other upscale clothing brands on the Sunset Strip include Supreme, Kith and Vuori.
Urbanize reported earlier about Sunset Sphere.