Something is architecturally afoot in Las Vegas. For decades Las Vegas seemed to be lost in a style somewhere between fantasy and facsimile. Cesar’s Palace, New York New York, The Venetian, Paris, the Luxor, even the Bellagio, the most tasteful expression of somewhere else are cliché ridden, wearing were never representative of a gambling and entertainment oasis in the middle of the American Southwest.
From the quirky Container Village downtown to the Frank Gehry designed Cleveland Clinic to the ultra-modern LEED Gold City Center a new modern and contemporary form is taking place. City Center incorporates residential towers, hotels, a convention center, theater and retail shopping into one 67-acre parcel off South Las Vegas Boulevard. The project utilized the architectural design firm Gensler to manage seven world-class architects, 45 interior designers and hundreds of consultants to bring the idea to reality. The soaring glass sheathed towers add to the impressive skyline, offer dramatic views of the city and the mountains and provide beautiful reflections of the setting sun. The retail shopping and entertainment venue Crystals is breathtaking in its unique design and execution. Faceted jewel like shapes formed from glass and stainless steel tumble across the site providing an intriguing and inviting retail setting.
In reaction to various societal changes and increased availability of wagering opportunities on-line and closer to home Las Vegas continues its evolution from a gambling mecca into a business convention destination and a world class entertainment venue. Progression of Las Vegas architecture from the derivative to original modern and contemporary forms reflects this change.
All images were taken with Nikon D750 w/ Nikon AF 18-35mm f/1:3.5-4.5D lens in RAW format processed in Adobe Lightroom 5.7.