Sixers and Comcast Spectacor select Las Vegas Sphere architects to build new arena in South Philly

The Flyers and Sixers are done playing in the Wells Fargo Center morgue and are taking things into the future with a brand-new arena in South Philly. They’ve tapped Populous, the same design firm behind the mind-bending Las Vegas Sphere, to build it.

This is the group that was originally supposed to design the now-dead 76 Place arena in Center City. That project was nuked earlier this year after months of fighting with neighbors, business owners, and everyone in Chinatown.

New Sixers arena coming…

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Jake Blumgart at the Inquirer…

The Philadelphia 76ers and Comcast Spectacor have selected an architecture firm to design their new South Philadelphia stadium, the first public steps for the project since the team’s contentious Center City proposal was withdrawn earlier this year.

The partners have chosen Populous, a global arena design firm, to craft the plans for the new South Philadelphia stadium. They will be partnering with architecture firm Moody Nolan, which has an office on Market Street.

The 76ers previously selected those two firms to design their abandoned Center City arena plans.

Goodbye Wells Fargo Center, hello Xfinity Mobile Arena…and a few potential nicknames to go with it

Populous is a big deal. We’re talking about the same crew building the new Buffalo Bills stadium, the absurd triangle stadium in Saudi Arabia, and the alien Sphere that landed on the Vegas Strip.

These guys don’t do boring, so let’s all hope that South Philly ends up looking like Blade Runner. The entire area, while historic, is in desperate need for a massive facelift and Populous is ready to deliver.

If only they could fix the actual Sixers while they were at it…sheesh.

The plan is to build more than just a new arena — it’s a full-blown entertainment district. Hotels, restaurants, bars, maybe even more Xfinity Live! expansions.

It’s a wild pivot from trying to shove an arena into Market East.

There’s no need to navigate SEPTA escalators that haven’t worked since 2003. You just park, tailgate, hit a few beers at Live!, and stroll into a futuristic arena with LED walls and beer robots. That’s the dream.

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