For centuries, playing ball has been associated with collective excitement and anticipation. Enabling the ‘rediscovery’ of this icon, Petrosphere highlights the paradoxical history of soccer: its origin as a hand-crafted object, and future as a hyper-engineered surface.

In crafting a monumental dome emerging from the ground, Bird draws reference from vintage soccer balls, carved stone artefacts, and ancient sporting symbols.

The sculpture consists of tapering steps and ramps that allow visitors to traverse the half-buried form, while its precast concrete mass merges ancient sculpted form with engineered precision geometry. Integrated LED lighting strips remind visitors of the soccer fields’ white painted linework and add an otherworldly glow to the landscape.