VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — It started with a quirky idea. Transform a geodesic dome-topped building in downtown Vancouver, near the landmark Science World Museum and BC Place Stadium, into a giant 17-story soccer ball for the world to see. World cup?
In fact, it’s easier said than done. But now, the full-size replica match ball has become an iconic symbol of Vancouver during the World Cup, a favorite of both broadcasters and social media posts.
About two years ago, Science World, stadium and host city officials were debating how best to make the most of the World Cup in their cities.
“We said things like we should wrap the dome like a soccer ball. It was kind of a joke, because it was like, who’s going to pay for it? How are we going to do it? There were a lot of questions,” said Rob Hollingsworth, Science World’s senior director of commercial sales and partnerships. “But in this case, I think the idea was actually easy, because you know there’s a giant ball on the roof.”
Adidas, which designed the official World Cup match ball, has agreed to allow the replica to be used. Local businesses, organizations and government agencies pitched in to help pay for the project. The only question left was how to make it happen.
The usually silver dome has been a staple of Vancouver’s skyline since it was built for the 1986 World’s Fair. It was used as Sochi House during the 2010 Winter Olympics as a prelude to the 2014 Olympics. And it has long housed Science World, a museum with an IMAX theater.
But when the decision was made to turn it into a giant soccer ball, there were some complications. The only schematic drawings of the building were the original hand-drawn blueprints by local architect Bruno Fresi.
So a drone was dispatched to take detailed laser measurements of each of the geodesic dome’s many panels. Unfortunately for everyone, every panel was a little different.
Still, flexible panels were manufactured, numbered in precise locations, and attached and connected with special ties to make them somewhat more resistant in windy conditions.
“We oriented this piece with broadcast in mind, so you’ll notice that the ball logo and the trophy are facing southeast, so when you take the shot, you get that iconic Vancouver shot, Science World, the stadium, downtown, water and mountains, all lined up together,” Hollingsworth said.
But it turns out that Science World isn’t just a soccer ball during the World Cup, it’s still a museum, hosting a special FIFA Museum exhibition called “Soccer and Technology.”
This is the first time this immersive exhibition will be exhibited outside of Zurich. Science World has tweaked the jersey to add a bit of Canadian flair, including the jersey worn by national star Christine Sinclair during the Tokyo Olympics gold medal match and the match ball from Alphonso Davies’ first goal of the tournament at the 2022 Qatar Men’s World Cup.
Hollingsworth said that although visitation to the museum increased during the tournament, nothing prepared Science World for the visual explosion on social media filled with photos of the dome.
“We were hoping this would happen, but we really had no idea. In the context of the World Cup, we were one of 16 host cities, so we didn’t know what everyone else was doing. We just knew what we were doing. But more than anything, I wanted this shot to be picked up by broadcasters as something of an iconic shot for Vancouver and to be heard around the world as such during the tournament, and I believe that’s what happened.” “The only thing we didn’t know about or didn’t necessarily foresee is organic earned media and organic social media that’s happening every day.”
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See more of The Associated Press’ World Cup coverage here.
