(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Bringing the beauty of Dubai inside one spherical dome, a new attraction opened its doors for the first time at The Dubai Mall on Wednesday.
Visitors to the city will experience an immersive visual delight inside The Sphere. Powered by 18 projectors running simultaneously, the attraction will showcase the city, including iconic locations like Burj Khalifa and the Palm Jumeirah, in a way never seen before.
Got time? Now you can tour Dubai in under 4 minutes!
Khaleej Times web journalist Dennis Padua Garcia tells it like it is...
Fancy touring Dubai but haven't got a minute to spare? Now you can.
On Wednesday, I got the chance to experience a different view of Dubai with the newest attraction to hit the city - The Sphere.
Dubai360 together with San Francisco-based Obscura Digital, recently launched an interactive tour of the emirate that takes viewers on a fast-paced journey of Dubai's famous sights and spots inside a 15-metre diametre spherical projection.
Located at the Dubai Mall's Star Atrium, The Sphere offers an immersive, full 360-degree view of Dubai's most iconic landmarks.
I waited in line around 5pm as organisers gathered spectators to witness a first of its kind viewing experience. Climbing the red carpet staircase added to my delight as 20 people were whisked inside the dome for the first screening.
Standing inside a suspended footbridge, the dome started to light up to everyone's delight. With 18 high-powered projectors running all at once, the film showed various shots and time lapse footages which best portray Dubai. The booming surround sound added more drama to the spectacle.You can see the majestic Burj Khalifa, take a ride inside the bustling Dubai Metro, feel the thrill of skydiving with the iconic The Palm Jumeirah in the back drop and even go on a peaceful abra tour along Madinat Jumeirah.
Watching the film from left and right, it kind of felt dizzying because everything you see inside is moving. I had to hold on tightly to the side rails for I felt I might lose my balance.
All in all, it was a one of a kind experience one should not miss. And the best thing is, it's for free!
- dennis@khaleejtimes.com
"The basic idea behind 'The Sphere' was to create a physical space whereby we take the high-quality panoramic content from the Dubai 360 website and present it in a unique way to offer a fully immersive journey," said Ismaeil Al Hashmi, Project Manager for Dubai 360.
Drawing visitors through a viewing bridge, seven meters high € the projections will showcase they films innovatively shot in 360 degrees, creating a real experience of Dubai.
Located in the Star Atrium of the city's iconic shopping destination, the experience showcases Dubai's pioneering spirit by integrating innovative ideas with technology.
Speaking with Khaleej Times, Gerald Donovan, Operations Manager at Dubai 360 said, "All of the content in The Sphere has been calibrated from the original Dubai 360 shoot for this new format. It almost transports you to the different locations because you are completely surrounded by video. There is a lot of technical work because the video is split between 18 different projectors to create the full scene."
Each viewing lasts for three and a half minutes and Gerald explained the project is a work of technical brilliance
"Over the course of the show, a visitor is taken to different parts of Dubai. From passing through Dubai Airport to skydiving and a helicopter tour of the city, there is a lot of different content. We bring 20 people in at a time to enjoy the experience. The first group who witnessed the sho wlet out a big cheer. We see people surprised and we want to go better and further.'
The installation will recreate spectacular vistas of Dubai to provide a never-before seen experience € with no entry fees for the experience.
As the world's most-visited retail and entertainment destination, The Dubai Mall continues to be a platform for innovative lifestyle and entertainment experiences for its visitors.
With a capacity of approximately 300 people per hour, The Sphere will be open to the public, free of charge until 18th March, 2015 in Dubai Mall.
Timings for The Sphere will be in line with Dubai Mall's running hours.
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