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GOING UP: Making a Statement No longer cartoony, Las Vegas architecture takes on sophisticated air By JOHN PRZYBYSREVIEW-JOURNAL
Near the Spaghetti Bowl, to the immediate east of Interstate 15, drivers can't help but sneak a peek at the swooping, dramatic profile of the World Market Center furniture mart. Not far away, the graceful elegance of the Wynn Las Vegas resort punctuates the skyline of the ever-changing Strip. And the MGM Mirage's Project CityCenter changes the way visitors and locals alike make use of Southern Nevada's busiest pedestrian street. Three examples of Las Vegas architecture, each dramatic in its own way, each another link in the continuing evolution of Southern Nevada design. Not all that long ago, "Las Vegas architecture" meant gaudy, cartoony or circusy. Today, Southern Nevada architects say, it's apt to be synonymous with sophisticated, classy and elegant. How sophisticated is Las Vegas' architectural scene these days? So sophisticated that internationally renowned architect Frank Gehry -whose works include the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles - last week announced that he'll be designing an Alzheimer's disease research center proposed for downtown. Some time back about 25,000 architects and design professionals from across the United States will examine Las Vegas' architecture firsthand during the American Institute of Architects national convention. Brad Schulz, a principal with KGA Architecture and local chairman of the convention, says it wasn't difficult to sell Las Vegas to the organization's officers. "I think architects are very excited about what happens here," he says. "It's a very dynamic place." Thomas Schoeman, president of JMA Architecture Studios, agrees. "Any time I have someone come in from outside of the state in the design profession, they are literally amazed at the quality of places like Bellagio or The Venetian that have really raised the bar," Schoeman says. What's behind the increased architectural sophistication Southern Nevada is experiencing? "I think the city is growing up. I think the city is maturing," Schulz answers. "I think the audience coming to Las Vegas now is looking for something different than they did 15 years ago. And, I think more and more people are looking to Las Vegas as a very sophisticated place, as opposed to just the gaming machines and the cheap buffets." The "ultimate mixed-use project," Schoeman says, is MGM Mirage's CityCenter, a 66-acre development between Bellagio and the Monte Carlo. The project includes a hotel and casino; boutique hotels; luxury condominium-hotel units; and retail, dining and entertainment outlets. Frommer notes that the project ties in nicely with other high-rise projects that either exist or are proposed for construction along or adjacent to the Strip in that "you're starting to see real interest in people living on the Strip." In the case of such projects, architectural sophistication is a must, Frommer says. A high-rise condo "needs to fit into that kind of context" of the rest of the Strip, he notes. "And I would suspect that people who want to live there want their condominium tower to be as interesting as the rest of the Strip, because that's part of the appeal of it." Mixed-use of another sort is offered by the World Market Center. The building is the centerpiece of what will become a $1 billion campus that consists of furniture showrooms and trade show spaces. Beyond offering space for what will house the largest convention of furniture buyers in the world, Schoeman - whose firm is involved in the project -says the idea is to "create an urban place." The buildings on the site are "very sculptural in nature," he adds, "and the spaces in-between are very exciting. Those are public plaza spaces." The project will help to "bring a significant amount of activity to downtown," adding to what's already being done in the city's arts district, Frommer says. By tying together the furniture mart with downtown, "it's really about activating the district and giving it life," he says. Beyond its use, Frommer notes, "I think there is a notion of scale that exists in that building. "Certainly the freeway side uses what can be called a grand gesture, with that upside-down swoop," he says. "So when you drive by the 95/15 area, it has a good deal of presence for a car traveling 65 miles an hour." Elsewhere downtown, Frommer points to the federal courthouse and the Clark County Government Center as examples of "a higher level of sophistication, where architecture isn't solely about providing space for offices, it's about building a community's fabric." A mile or so away, Wynn Las Vegas offers a curving, classy counterpoint to the skyline of the northersn Strip. "There is a great deal to that project," Frommer says. "It's got a kind of simple form with a tower that has a kind of elegant profile to it, and it has a very sleek and very polished look to it." Schulz notes that the building is a departure from other former Wynn properties - specifically Treasure Island and The Mirage - which invite passers-by to look in toward the building. Wynn Las Vegas, in contrast, is "a very introverted building, looking out at the surroundings as opposed to what in the past was looking in," he says. Increasingly sophisticated architecture can be found away from downtown and the Strip, too. Frommer cites county fire stations and a handful of library buildings, as well as some of the buildings on the UNLV and Community College of Southern Nevada campuses, as examples of strong design. This sophistication has filtered down to valley homes as well, Schoeman says. In some areas of Summerlin, for example, "most of those homes 20 years ago would have been a mix of Colonial and Spanish and whatever," he says. Today, he continues, many - particularly high-end homes - are "appropriately indigenous to Southern Nevada." Schulz says there is not yet something that can be called a Las Vegas style, or a type of architecture peculiar to Southern Nevada. But, he adds, "I think that's good." "We're not looking to create one uniform look or one style of building," he explains. "Las Vegas, as far as the Strip is concerned, sort of reinvents itself every 10 years or so, and I think that actually is a positive thing for this type of community." "People in a lot of older communities around the country are very set in their ways and what they want and styles they look for, and don't embrace new ideas, perhaps, as readily as Las Vegas," Schulz says. However, Schoeman says, "I think we're moving to and understanding what's appropriate for what I would call `Nevada architecture' - indigenous materials, indigenous color palettes and buildings that respond to the environment correctly." In addition, he says, "very important in the design community is the notion of sustainable architecture, meaning that the buildings are environmentally friendly." Still, Schulz says, "I'm not sure every building we produce - whether it's a hotel or the furniture mart or a library or museum - should necessarily all look like they grew out of the desert. I don't, personally, think that's necessary." But all agree that whatever stereotype Las Vegas architecture once may have suffered is a thing of the past. "I think people look to us now and see Las Vegas as a leader, as opposed to that kind of re-creating others' environments," Frommer says. For more information on other projects: Carl Scheinwald 800-991-CARL (2275) 702-263-4949 Fill out the Buyer’s Request Form OR call me. Let’s get you started movin’ on up. That number to call is 1-800-991-CARL. For that affordable Maui condo vacation, see: www.MauiXOXO.com & www.MauiPenthouseView.com. Mention code word “HighRise” and get a 25% discount off the posted rates. This offer is valid for your friends and family as well, now through December 15, 2010. | ||||||||||
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