issue 10 / 2016
o f ficia l publ icat ion of t he l a s v e g a s c h a p t e r o f t h e a me ri c an i n sti tu te o f ar c h i tec ts
60 years of design Celebrating the people, places and things that define the Las Vegas cityscape We’ve got the look
Five architecture tours for every taste
The other Mr. Las Vegas The innovator who styled the Strip
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P resi d e n t ’ s n o te
optimism by design It’s my pleasure to welcome back Architecture Las Vegas after a long hiatus. The revival of the magazine couldn’t come at a better moment. With Las Vegas once again showing signs of robust recovery both culturally and economically, now is the perfect time to restart a community conversation about architecture, design and quality of life. My hope is that Architecture Las Vegas, published as a partnership between Desert Companion and AIA Las Vegas, serves as a catalyst for that dialogue. This year is special for another reason: The AIA Las Vegas Chapter is celebrating its 60th anniversary. That’s 60 years of not only representing the interests of the architecture profession, but 60 years of being an advocate for livability through design — design that is responsible and engaged, yes, but also interesting and inspired. Our chapter started in 1956 with humble beginnings, and has since grown to be a formidable organization with over 500 members. Our growth parallels that of the city we call home. Over the last 60 years, the Las Vegas Valley has grown at an almost breathtaking pace, and there was a 20-year period where we had the title of “fastest-growing city in the U.S.” It’s safe to say we were probably one of the fastest-growing AIA chapters as well. During that phase of phenomenal growth, one of the highlights for our chapter was hosting the AIA National Convention in 2005, the largest and most successful AIA National Convention and Design Exposition in the history of the Institute. Most recently, of course, we survived the Great Recession, which hit our profession in Las Vegas hard. However, today we’re emerging from that period, stronger and wiser, and the chapter is vibrant and growing again. Therefore, it’s fitting that in this issue, we look back in a spirit of pride and celebration as we trace the history of design and construction in the valley, and explore how it shaped the environment we live in today. But we’re considering more than just designers and buildings. In our main feature, “60 years in a bright, bright city,” (p. 42) we consider the
contributions not only of architects, but also owners, developers, contractors and other visionaries who made Las Vegas what it is today. In reflecting on that rich past, we’re also moved to think about what the future holds, and where we’ll go next. It’s impossible to discuss the growth and development of Las Vegas without talking about the Strip. Over the years, as each bold new hotelcasino was designed and created, the community and valley expanded and grew with it. That explosion of population brought in tens of thousands of new residents at a time, with rich, diverse backgrounds and perspectives, but it also presented a challenge for the architectural community: It was up to us to envision places for them to live, shop, play, learn and worship. One fact alone hints at this dramatic story: During this 20-year period of incredible growth, the Clark County School District designed and built 200 schools. That’s a strong testament to the will and vision of both our leaders and community members. This is truly a time to celebrate the accomplishments of our architectural community while also looking forward to the future. Please enjoy the features, profiles, discussions and perspectives in this rebirth issue of Architecture Las Vegas. Thank you for your continued support as we celebrate 60 years. Brett K. Ewing, AIA President AIA Las Vegas Chapter
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o f f i c i a l p u b li c a ti o n o f th e la s v e g a s c h a p te r o f th e a m e r i c a n i n s ti tu te o f a r c h i te c ts
[ f ea t u r e s ]
Celebrating the people, plaCes and things that define the las Vegas CitysCape We’ve got the look
fiVe arChiteCture tours for eVery taste
the other Mr. las vegas the innoVator who styled the strip
On the cover: Wayne McAllister's iconic sign for the Sands. Photo courtesy Las Vegas News Bureau. Cover design by Scott Lien.
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32 42 48
Tours de Force: Whether you’re mad about mid-mod or love the Las Vegas spirit of reinvention, these five architecture tours will inspire you. 60 Years in a Bright, Bright City: From swimming pools to neon signs and leisure architects to gonzo journalists, here are 60 things that define the Las Vegas look. Andrew Kiraly 2015 Design Awards: Meet the winners and tour the projects of the winners of 2015’s AIA Nevada Design Awards. Scott Dickensheets
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CityCenter courtesy MGM Resorts International
60 years of design
ARCHITECTURE + INTERIORS
www.djc-ltd.com
[ d epa r t m e n t s ]
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Blueprint for Conversation: Architects can raise the profession’s profile by getting out from behind the drawing board — and into the community. JoAnna Haugen The Other Mr. Las Vegas: Meet the man who developed many of the brilliant design elements of casinos that we take for granted today. Tony Illia Generation Next: These up-and-coming architects and firms are bringing fresh talent to the Southern Nevada cityscape. T.R. Witcher Looking Back — and Ahead: An overview of the events marking 60 years of AIA Las Vegas, from lectures to holiday galas. Perspective: It isn’t enough for architects to merely create buildings. We need to think of ourselves as partners in the creation of cities. Craig Galati
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Fremont Street courtesy UNLV Special Collections Library
the shape of history This issue of Architecture Las Vegas celebrates 60 years of design in Southern Nevada — on and off the Strip.
10 16 26 60 64
hea d er s p ace
Issue 10, 2016 Architecture Las Vegas is the official publication of the Las Vegas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects P u b l i s he r & E x e cu t i v e Di re cto r
Randy Lavigne, Hon. AIA co - P u b l i s he r
christine kiely Ed i to r
Andrew Kiraly A r t Di r e cto r
S.A. Lien s a l e s a nd b u s i ne ss d e v e lo p m e n t
bettina busch A dv e r t i s i ng Sal e s
sharon clifton, parker mccoy, favian perez, noelle tokar, markus van't hul p r i nt t r a ffi c m a nag e r
karen wong A I A Las V e ga s Ed i to r i a l Co m m i t t e e
Brett K. Ewing, AIA President, AIA Las Vegas Mark Ryan, AIA President, AIA Nevada Eric Roberts, AIA Past President, AIA Nevada Curt Carlson, AIA SH Architecture Lance Kirk, AIA LGA Chris Lujan, Assoc. AIA TSK Architects Jeanne brown Librarian Emerita, UNLV CARON RICHARDSON AIA Las Vegas Co nt r i b u t i ng w r i t e r s
geoff carter, Scott Dickensheets, Craig Galati, JoAnna Haugen, Tony Illia, Jason Scavone, T.R. Witcher Co nt r i b u t i ng P hoto g r ap h e r s
Brent Holmes, Chris Smith Co ntact U s
Architecture Las Vegas AIA Las Vegas 401 S. Fourth st., Suite 175 Las Vegas, NV 89101 Phone: 702-895-0936 Email: rlavigne@aianevada.org Architecture Las Vegas is published twice annually by the Las Vegas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in partnership with Nevada Public Radio and Desert Companion Magazine. Copyright Architecture Las Vegas by AIA Las Vegas Chapter. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without publisher’s written permission. PAGE
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Celebrating 60 Years of Architecture For sixty years the Las Vegas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects has advanced design and the built environment through education, public awareness and by empowering our members. We invite all Las Vegas to join us in celebrating the progressive growth and the innovative architecture of this remarkable city, and we salute the AIA architects who have created it.
We are most grateful for the partnerships and support we have received throughout the years from the architecture and design community, and most especially this year from our 60th Anniversary Sponsors.
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AIA Las Vegas, 401 S. Fourth Street, Suite 175 Las Vegas, NV 89101 Phone: 702-895-0936 Email: rlavigne@aianevada.org
COMMUNITY
What does an architect do? Seems like a simple enough question, and with a simple enough answer: An architect draws plans or makes models of buildings. After that’s done, the architect hands the plans over to a construction company that takes on the job from there. Right? Not quite.The belief that this is the sum total of what an architect does is a common misconception — not only among the general public, but even among many aspiring architects entering the profession who dream of designing great buildings. Designing buildings is great. But drafting building plans is only part of the job. “What we do is much more about people than it is about buildings, and it’s much more about the community inside than the actual building itself,” says Craig Galati, AIA, principal of LGA. That’s not news to most architects. But how do you convince the public of that idea — that architects are much more than people who draw buildings, that they’re arbiters, creators and interpreters of the very spaces we live and work in, that they’re the spokespeople for good design? How can architects raise their image from that of mere designers of structures to thought-leaders who inspire broader conversations about how design influences our spaces, our lives and our community? Many local architects know the answer, because they’re making it happen — through means ranging from art to social media to old-fashioned, face-to-face meetings with neighbors. Join the club
Blueprint for conversation How do architects raise their profile in the public’s mind? By taking their work — and their words — well beyond the drawing board
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Raising the profile of architects can be as simple as being part of an organization. Case in point: Curt Carlson, AIA, principal and director at SH Architecture, sits on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas. He notes that simple community involvement of this sort is just as important as those things traditionally tied to an architect’s job description. “It’s not just building buildings,” he says, “but how the community is actually intertwined with the buildings.” Ultimately, it is the activities within and around the structures that truly matter, and Carlson feels that involvement in a worthwhile organization — one that may not have anything to do directly with architecture — can nonetheless deliver valuable insights into the needs and desires of the community. And input from the community, in turn, informs his professional perspective as well. His colleague Eric Roberts, AIA, director at SH Architecture, sees another point of community entry for architects — think not building plans, but paintings. “I believe that many architects possess an untapped
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resource of creativity that remains unshared with the community — through art,” Roberts writes in an email. “Many architects are also incredible artists and possess great skills in painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, model building or other arts. I would like to see the architecture community take a more active role in the art community in Las Vegas, and perhaps to see that reciprocated by the art community.” His thinking goes that nourishing the natural connection between design, art and architecture can go a long way to changing the public’s perceptions about the profession — and spark some fresh dialogue among these distinct groups. “Architecture and art should push and pull one another within a city, they should challenge one another and they should be in constant dialogue.” If that sounds a bit abstract, Roberts
mentions several specific ways that might happen: For example, a First Friday exhibit or lecture series in which architects and artists collaborate on a project or discuss a headline topic in the realm of lifestyle, art or design. “I’d like to see more architects display work they’ve completed themselves, out in the community, and to show themselves as artists,” Roberts writes. “I think it’s important to be seen as more than a creator of building plans.” And Roberts puts his money — or rather, his marker — where his mouth is. He leads an Urban Sketchers group that attracts both artists and architects. Sketchpads in hand, every month they visit a visually interesting Vegas locale, whether a Strip icon or a natural landmark. There’s a lot of drawing, but also a lot of dialogue.
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Open the doors
Just as important at getting involved in the community is inviting the community in. Architecture strikes many people as a complex practice to the point of being arcane. Many local architects say that a bit of transparency is crucial to remind the public that the process of creating spaces is, in many ways, a collaboration between the architect and the public that will use the space. For instance, the Las Vegas AIA chapter opens many of its events to the public, and its office can at times act as an information booth, fielding questions from the public about architects and architecture. In fact, the entire month of April — Art, Architecture and Design Month — was developed to raise public awareness about and celebrate the accomplishments of local architecture and design.
“The number one problem is education,” says Randy Lavigne, executive director of the AIA Las Vegas. “Most people don’t understand what architects do and the value they bring to a project.” Eric Strain, AIA, associate professor of architecture at UNLV and owner and chief architect of Assemblage Studio, is one of many UNLV professors working to build multiple bridges between the architecture school and the general public. So far, Strain, who joined UNLV in August, is pleasantly surprised by the results. For instance, Strain says, the October lecture by heavyweight design and architecture critic Aaron Betsky drew 250 people — and not just architects and building buffs. “We had people from the areas of design and art, the casino industry, the development community and the general public,” he says.
And the education process doesn’t stop once the public is in the door. For instance, the school’s February lecture by Phoenix-based architect Will Bruder, FAIA — one of its popular Klai Juba Wald Lecture Series events — was followed by an architecture school open house, with an exhibit highlighting student work. “We believe getting all these communities into the school and open house will begin to raise the exposure for architecture,” says Strain. The school has also relaunched its popular “Slide Slam” event, high-energy slideshows showcasing the work of artists, designers, photographers and, of course, architects. That’s the kind of interdisciplinary mix needed to bring architects deeper into the conversation about aesthetics and design. The architecture school is also talking to the city about cre-
ating a symposium on Downtown to discuss housing, public architecture and more, and working with the Contemporary Arts Center on an exhibit of architecture students’ work. “Through these efforts I believe we can begin to elevate the awareness, understanding and appreciation of architecture in the valley,” Strain says. Meeting of the minds
The spirit of collaboration behind such public events extends well beyond academic offices and into the realm of politics and public policy, where architects continue to strive to have a voice. Chris Lujan, AIA, an associate at Tate Snyder Kimsey, takes an active role in those arenas at the local and state levels, bringing his perspective from the architecture and
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design side. “Sometimes people believe that architects are relegated exclusively to the bricks-and-mortar side of community building, but we realize that, at a policy level, informing local constituents really starts with describing an idea,” he says. This often takes the form of community forums, charrettes (brainstorming sessions) and open meetings, where laypeople are given the opportunity to share their thoughts about neighborhood developments while also giving architects the chance to demonstrate how they can help realize those goals. Lasting much longer than a single meeting, these give-and-take conversations between architects and community members take place throughout a project’s planning process. Architects provide details on the intended project while also soliciting ideas and concerns from people living in the neighborhood, giving everyone an opportunity to offer feedback. “We really believe that we can help communities navigate through this process,” Galati of LGA says. “They have as much to say — if not more to say — than we do on how their community should be shaped. Our job as designers, planners and architects is to dig as deep as we can and to really help those communities make the best decisions about what they want.” Carlson’s firm SH Architecture also makes use of these visioning sessions, encouraging feedback from potential users about the project. “We ask people what they would like to see and how they plan to use it,” he says, noting that something like schools or Boys & Girls Clubs located throughout the valley may seem similar in nature, but each neighborhood has different circumstances. “Everything is slightly different. It’s really about what that community needs and what they can benefit from,” Carlson says. Spread the (digital) word
Constructing a building is a decidedly physical process, but architects are finding that digital tools can be a power-
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ful resource in carrying on a conversation about design. “What’s happening with social media is really exciting for a number of reasons for architecture,” Lujan says. The ongoing discussions that architects have with community members often happen over the course of several open meetings. But these days, the conversation doesn’t end when the meeting adjourns. More tech-savvy firms share updates using social media or leverage their websites as a dynamic platform, and invite community members to participate in the process outside the conference room. Carlson’s firm has deployed online surveys to gather feedback from people who can’t attend public forums, and it also sets up mini-websites and uses electronic newsletters to keep stakeholders informed of ongoing progress on projects. “We want to keep people up-to-date on what decisions have been made or just to get more ideas and keep the conversation going,” he says. Yet, even as these online conversations happen in real-time, they have the opportunity to live on much longer. Lujan of Tate Snyder Kimsey points to an example of a rural school he worked on, which was documented digitally throughout the entire process. “People from around the world were actually able to see what the outcome was,” he says. A handful of publications picked up on the story, and other school districts got in touch to find out more about the project because they faced similar challenges. Because of the digital documentation, stakeholders were able to include a much wider community in the process. “You’re giving a voice to the client and suddenly they’re able to influence decisions from around the world,” he says. “We’re responsible for bettering the community — and communities we may never even visit,” Lujan adds. “If we can address architecture through means beyond what the physical building is, then I
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think we’re doing our jobs responsibly for the next generation.” A structured conversation
And, finally, when it comes to inspiring conversations about the built environment, David Frommer, AIA, executive director of UNLV Planning and Construction, points out that architects have the best props available: the buildings and spaces themselves. “One of the most powerful ways to engage the public related to the value and importance of high-quality architecture and design — and, naturally, the role architects and design professionals play related to this — is through realized architecture, environments and spaces that are welcoming and open to the public, and exhibit the quality of exceptional design that make for great places for people to be in,” he writes in an email. “Few things compare to designing and constructing great and compelling places for people, and people experiencing those places and enjoying them and understanding the value of great design.” The challenge is in taking that enjoyment and articulating it as part of a larger dialogue. That leads into Frommer’s other suggestion: Why not Las Vegas architecture tours? “Many cities with strong design and architecture traditions have city tours led by architects and design professionals to talk about some of the more important, groundbreaking, innovative or compelling design in a city,” he writes, calling out Chicago, New York, Seattle and New Orleans as just a few examples. The UNLV Architecture Studies Library offers self-guided tours, and organizations such as The Neon Museum give tours of their own grounds, but perhaps the time is right for a citywide architecture tour — one that captures not just the breadth of local architecture, from Strip whimsy to site-specific, desert-savvy domiciles, but builds a public appetite for thinking and talking about design. — Joanna Haugen
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HISTORY
mous with the Las Vegas lifestyle. Even his seemingly ordinary innovations became textbook ingredients for modern casinos. “Wayne McAllister did for Las Vegas what Daniel Burnham did for Chicago and Pierre L’Enfant did for Washington, D.C.: Establish a unique, memorable, and functional design that perfectly suited the purpose and character of those cities,” says architect and author Alan Hess. And in the Vegas spirit of reinvention, McAllister was largely self-made. A San Diego native, McAllister was a high school dropout who taught himself architecture. Despite this, he ascended to the profession’s highest ranks, scoring groundbreaking commissions for everyone from Marriott and Hilton to Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel. McAllister was an iconoclast, too, brewing up bathtub gin during Prohibition (even co-owning a brewery after Prohibition), running a machine shop, managing a restaurant, and even operating a commercial ostrich farm. His unorthodox background, broad range of experiences and entrepreneurial spirit meant a continual self-reinvention that was reflected in his architectural work marked by ceaseless experimentation, adaptation and evolution. Roots? Tradition? Legacy? DeIf there’s one name synonymous with Vegas architecture, it’s Wayne cidedly un-Vegas ideas that didn’t McAllister, whose projects shaped the inimitable style of the Strip quite fit his spirit. “When you’re designing something, you don’t look back at anyGlamour. Swagger. Panache. Verve. thing else. It flows from your ideas, not from what you Not words that immediately scream architecture!, exactdid before,” McAllister told a reporter. “But naturally, ly, but they do when it’s Wayne McAllister we’re talking what you did before is in the background, isn’t it? You about — and when we’re talking about legendary Vegas certainly don’t want to just repeat what you did before.” resorts such as the El Rancho and The Sands. It’s hard Just add (hot) water to overstate: McAllister defined Las Vegas glamour and McAllister had a blue-collar work ethic coupled swagger with radically designed hotels and nightclubs, with flexibility, creativity and an ability to deliver restaurants and casinos that forever changed the city’s high-quality work that consistently exceeded owner visual DNA. His relaxed, open and flowing spaces emexpectations. His skill, inventiveness and deferential debodied a leisurely freedom that soon became synony-
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Wayne McAllister courtesy Las Vegas News Bureau
The Other Mr. Las Vegas
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Enter the Sands man: McAllister's design for the Sands included this 56-foottall sign that made it one of the most prominent on the Strip.
meanor made him a heavily sought-after talent. Those traits also help explain how he got such an early start. At age 19, McAllister landed an unprecedented $10 million commission (more than $2 billion in today’s dollars) to design Hotel Agua Caliente in Tijuana, Mexico. It was an instant success when it opened in 1928 — the most opulent, talked-about resort of its era — boasting a casino, bathhouse, cocktail bars, restaurants, golf course and racetrack. (The resort inspired the 1935 film In Caliente). The Spanish Mission-style complex, spread across 655 acres, attracted celebrity visitors like Charlie Chaplin, Eddie Cantor, Al Jolson, Irving Berlin, Bing Crosby, Clark Gable, and Jean Harlow during Prohibition. Agua Caliente was a seminal project in McAllister’s career. It laid the foundation for the Las Vegas Strip, with design innovations that included casinos built without clocks or windows, and hidden catwalks for security. There was also fine dining, intricate ornamentation and lavish entertainment. The resort’s 85-foottall bell tower, meanwhile, acted as a visual centerpiece and symbol, predating the neon monikers that would eventually define the Strip. And thank heavens for his self-taught skills. McAllister’s unique architectural style likely would have been “learned out of him” with formal school training, Hess says. Instead, the young designer (who lied about his age) was unencumbered by tradition or reputation, enabling a creative freedom and design malleability uncommon among his peers.
At your leisure: McAllister's basic plan for the Desert Inn emphasized a playful, freewheeling aesthetic — perhaps all the more apparent because McAllister had no formal training as an architect.
Rise of the roadside
America, in the 1950s and 1960s, had a newfound sense of freedom and appetite for adventure, thanks to Eisenhower’s creation of a national interstate highway system. A new type of roadside architecture developed as a result, inspired by car culture’s sense of movement. This was McAllister’s element.
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Historic casinos courtesy Las Vegas News Bureau
HISTORY
Downtown dynamic: McAllister created the original plans for the El Cortez and The Fremont, two signature Downtown hotelcasinos.
He played a pivotal role in designing drivein restaurants (once as ubiquitous as today’s drive-thru) that reflected dynamism and character of the automobile. Known as Googie architecture, it was widely popular in southern California from the late 1940s through the mid-1960s. Cars gave rise to new mobility and development, fueling the explosive growth of suburbs during the post-World War II economy. The sunny Los Angeles climate was another catalyst, contributing to the indoor-outdoor lifestyle that produced light-filled sprawling spaces that later spilled into Las Vegas. Googie took its design cue from automotive technology, using Atomic-era materials such as chrome, glass and steel for construction. Buildings embodied action, becoming a Space-age expression of forward momentum and progress. Streamlined, asymmetrical compositions were accentuated by prominently placed halo neon signs that lured visitors and buoyed business. “McAllister would first become an expert in the building type he was to create,”
with restaurants like Simon’s, Hody’s, Pig ‘n Whistle, and Bob’s Big Boy, gaining crucial experience with themed yet practical spaces that would later serve him well in Las Vegas. Although Modernist masters like R.M. Schindler and Ludwig Mies Van Roche tried their hand at Googie-style restaurants, it was McAllister who “pulled the somewhat crude vernacular expressions of the drive-in restaurant into a unified, sophisticated, and utterly modern whole,” says Hess. They were small spaces, but make no mistake — they drew big attention in a booming city on the move. McAllister was unconsciously readying himself for remaking Las Vegas, laying the groundwork for the future Strip as an iconic visitor destination. says architecture critic and author Chris Nichols. “He immersed himself in the practical matters of creating space.” Indeed, McAllister fully engaged himself in the language of kitchens and restaurants for a holistic design approach that pumped up business’ bottom lines through efficient planning. He was honing his craft
Back at the Rancho
McAllister’s reputation was firmly established when he designed the 110-room El Rancho Vegas Hotel. It was the town’s first luxury resort along Highway 91 (later known as the Strip). The $425,000 El Rancho was initially promoted as the
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“Caliente of the West” when it debuted in 1941, referencing McAllister’s previous success in Mexico. The Mission-style complex, on 66 acres, consisted of lowslung bungalows with a shake roof and board-and-batten walls partially connected by covered arcades. It had a sprawling cowboy dude ranch feel with exposed beam ceilings, fireplaces, split-rail fencing and working stables. Like many of McAllister’s finest Googie creations, the El Rancho was nestled against the highway with a towering windmill sign outlined in neon that pierced the skyline, effectively acting as a beacon and magnetic draw for road-weary travelers. Moreover, El Rancho served as a blueprint for future Strip resorts, with a lavish casino, easy
parking, central pool and iconic sign that served as both visual identity and visitor enticement. And, naturally, there was celebrity luster, with performers such as Betty Grable, Pearl Bailey and Chico Marx providing entertainment. (Actors Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward were married at the El Rancho in 1958.) After a financially lucrative run, including a 1947 renovation, the resort burned down to the ground in 1960. It was never rebuilt. Rat Pack cool
The Sands Hotel was one of McAllister’s most elegant, modern and beloved creations, raising the bar for future Strip resort opulence. (John F. Kennedy was an occasional guest in the late 1950s.) The
$5.5 million, 200-room terracotta-red resort opened December 15, 1952, along South Las Vegas Boulevard. A porte-cochère of three soaring, doglegged fins led to a two-story glass-walled main entrance bordered by imported Italian marble. A substantially sized casino anchored the complex, funneling guests through a brightly carpeted, clockless gaming space on the way to the registration desk, restaurant or street. The window-free area was lit by low-hanging copper chandeliers while a network of concealed catwalks let security personnel keep tabs on the action below. A 500-guest main cocktail lounge had Western themed bas-relief ceramic murals, featuring cowboys, racing wagons and Joshua trees, designed by Allan
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Stewart of Claremont College, California. Two-story motel wings, each with fifty rooms named after famous racetracks, were arranged in a hacienda style, surrounding a tropically landscaped halfmoon-shaped pool with a floating craps table. Sumptuously appointed suites had plush blue carpets, ivory-colored chairs and white ceilings. However, the Sands’ most memorable design feature may be its 56-foot-tall pylon sign. Luminous neon script lettering was sprawled across an egg crate grill that cast playful shadows in the desert sunlight. The effervescent and colorful moniker, cantilevered from a stucco tower, was more than sparkling bait: It was a graphic calling card, an alluring highway seduction that soon became synonymous with the hotel. The sign’s tagline “A Place in the Sun” came from the 1951 film starring Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor, foreshadowing a luminous reputation with celebrity performers that included Danny Thomas, Jimmy Durante, Judy Garland, Lena Horne, Marlene Dietrich, Jerry Lewis and Red Skelton. McAllister’s iconic style helped the casino itself become an icon. The Sands ultimately etched its name into Vegas lore during a three-week period in 1960 when Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford filmed Ocean’s 11 at the hotel. The quintet additionally sang and danced in the 385-seat Brazilian carnival-themed Copa Room during a period known as the “Summit at the Sands.” Las Vegas would never be the same. Hotel Fremont and beyond
McAllister designed the city’s first high-rise, the Fremont Hotel, which would also be his last Las Vegas project. The $6 million, 155-room California modern-style resort brought charm and flair to Downtown Las Vegas. The Fremont opened on May 18, 1956 along
Fremont Street. It featured modular precast concrete construction with varying tan-colored panels. A wide, thin concrete blade, running the full length of the tower extended past the roofline with the hotel’s neon sign, visually breaking up the building mass. Guest window brisesoleils (sunscreens) served a similar aesthetic function, while adding a sleek, futuristic feel. The tiled street-level façade, meanwhile, featured a broad flat building canopy whose swirling neon underside enticed pedestrians. “At night, the underside of this canopy came alive in a dizzying explosion of neon, with galloping white and rose spirals ringed by yellow, pink and white waves,” Nichols wrote in his 2007 book, The Leisure Architecture of Wayne McAllister. The hotel’s many amenities included a rooftop pool, a 30,000-square-foot casino and Mid-century Herman Miller furniture designed by Charles Eames. Its Carnival showroom, bathed in pink with resin cylinder chandeliers, was the setting for a teenage Wayne Newton’s Vegas debut in 1959. Although McAllister stopped designing full-time at age 49, the impact from his work still reverberates today. He invented the “form and flavor of the Las Vegas Strip,” setting the “pattern, style and approach” with his architectural designs, Nichols says. It’s no small feat creating a place where people want to spend their time and money. McAllister always had a knack for observing the changing landscape and adapting accordingly. “McAllister is responsible for establishing the defining features of Las Vegas architecture from the 1940s through the 1960s — a key formative era,” says Hess. “From his long experience in San Diego, Tijuana and Los Angeles, he understood the right balance of luxurious amenities and stylish architecture that would appeal to people as Las Vegas created itself as a unique recreational destination.” —Tony Illia
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The HOUSE ALWAYS WINS How Strip architecture defined a young and growing Las Vegas — and spread across the globe
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But this is more than a bemusing observation. This speaks volumes about the spirit of Las Vegas, and points to one of our lesser-known exports: design as a means to maximize desire. From steak joint to The Strip
Wayne McAllister was a 19-year-old whiz kid who started in architecture before he even finished high school. Despite his youth, by 1926 he had already made the kind of connections that enabled him to push through a proposal to build the $10 million Agua Caliente casino-resort just over the border in Tijuana, Mexico. The resort opened in the middle of 1928, and by the end of ’29 it would feature a hotel, casino, horse track, spa, golf course, pool, tennis courts, a
Illustration: Scott Lien
From the time Caesars Palace opened in 1966 until Paris Las Vegas came alive in 1999, Las Vegas was replica-mad when it came to casino-resorts on the Strip.You know them by heart, now. We have Rome. We have New York. We have Venice and Paris and Giza. So if you can take irony, give it physical form and build it from the ground up, it’s in Macau, where the iconic swooping top and chocolate-brown glass of the Wynn were cloned, wholesale, on the edge of the South China Sea. You want to double down on that irony? There’s The Venetian Macao, a copy of a copy that proves that there’s no idea that Las Vegas can’t take, repackage, reuse or export. Where the Strip goes, so goes the city — and the world.
rail depot and an airport. It was an immediate hit that was popular with Hollywood luminaries like Gary Cooper, Bing Crosby, Charlie Chaplain, the Marx Brothers and Howard Hughes (who no doubt took a note or two on the operation). But more than that, it gave McAllister the blueprint to building a destination resort in the desert, centered on gambling, at the heart of a your-every-whim-catered-to fantasyland. When the El Rancho, also designed by McAllister, opened in 1941, it was the first time an architect would bring styles and ideas from their other projects to bear on Las Vegas. It wouldn’t be the last, and it would quickly become a two-way street. “They established a type,” says Alan Hess, architecture critic for the San Jose Mercury News and author of Viva Las Vegas: After Hours Architecture. “They told people, told architects how you organize rooms, services, landscape, pool, recreation, entertainment, casino, cars, all of those elements. Those are difficult elements to put together in a convenient way, a workable way. The Rancho did that right at the beginning. The Flamingo and the Sands both introduced an interest in real sophisticated design for the period. There was an elegance and a sophistication and a classy side to Las Vegas design.” The type of mid-century design that dominated the early Strip projects of the ’40s and ’50s would prove to be one of the earliest and most lasting influences on architecture in Las Vegas. The Morelli House, moved wholesale from its original location at the Desert Inn Estates in 2001 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012, is a stunningly preserved example of mid-mod architecture, with its beam-and-post construction, glass curtain wall and opposite clerestory windows create an ethereal, floating effect. The room swims in natural light, and
the combination of open plan and natural materials like the split-face granite wall that houses a scalloped copper fireplace hood make it feel like the only difference between where you’re standing and the world outside is the carpet underneath. Antonio Morelli was the orchestra leader at the Sands’ Copa Room. He had the house built in 1959 with architect Hugh Taylor, who had worked on the Desert Inn after McAllister, and whose reach in Las Vegas would prove to be undeniable. Neighborhoods like the Scotch 80s, Winchester township and the Arts District still show that mid-mod influence. It’s testament to both the accessibility of the style and the lack of other fashionable options at the time that so many early enclaves here drew from the look. “When you’re talking about what was going on in Las Vegas at that time, these buildings were influential because they were so prominent,” Brett Ewing, AIA, of Cuningham Group Architecture says. “There were 50,000 people living here at that time. It was a small community. There were so few buildings here that if you were driving around the city, you’d come up on these properties. I think you’d pay more attention.” The pioneer roots of the city weren’t erased completely, though. The Last Frontier, opened in 1942, seized on the city’s Western traditions and tried to produce a Wyatt Earp and Billy the Kid version of the Rancho, with clapboard false-front buildings and rough-hewn wood posts. It stands as one of the city’s earliest examples of a themed resort. Coalesce and spread
But still, the overall aesthetic of the early Strip would rapidly coalesce. In 1965, Tom Wolfe, dazzled by what he called with no small amount of wry deprecation the Late American Rich style of “Boomerang Modern, Palette
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weapon at their disposal, and it quickly became one of the favorite items in their arsenal. And they put it to use. Circus Circus expanded to Reno in 1978. Though the Atlantic City version of Caesars didn’t open with the ersatz Roman style of its Las Vegas counterpart in 1979, it adopted those trappings by 1987 after a remodel. The Taj Mahal followed in 1990. Buffalo Bill’s built a false-front Old West village in Primm in 1994, and the Nevada Landing put a riverboat in Jean in 1989. Theming, and its logical — if exaggerated — endpoint, fantasy architecture, were a hot commodity. “Any number of so-called local casinos in other parts of the country have taken a very active role in theming,” says Joel Bergman, AIA, of Bergman Wall Associates. As architect of The Mirage and Treasure Island, Bergman is one of the integral figures in Las Vegas themed architecture. Prior to that, he worked under Martin Stern Jr., architect of The International who pioneered another Vegas-bred architectural innovation: structural integration, or, rather, building up instead of out. “People like being in (themed casinos). It’s a nice flavor. It’s telling a story or exaggerating a story, and just having fun with it. Because if we have fun on the design side, the people who are coming there, they have fun. And when people are having fun, money gets made. I have worked in South America somewhat, and Europe and Asia; the reason they called me is because I’m a theme architect and they wanted a flavor. In some cases without anybody’s permission. I noticed this particularly in Lima, Peru, where casinos took the name and a half-assed attempt at theming of various casinos from New York-New York to Texas Station. In fact, at one time the people who developed Texas Station actually bought the old signage and moved it down there.”
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The theme machine
Certainly, other aspects of themed architecture were especially prominent in other off-Strip casinos and resorts around Las Vegas, from the artificial village of Sam’s Town to the Spanish ambitions of Sunset Station to the Mediterranean flavor of Green Valley Ranch. But the impact of theming also had occasionally unexpected consequences. Architect David M. Schwarz designed The Smith Center to pay tribute to the Art Deco trappings of Hoover Dam, highlighted by the stunning Carillon Tower, with its soaring vertical lines leading up to its 50-ton Deco-styled steel cap. The towerand-steel cap evokes the idea of a mini Chrysler Building in Las Vegas. (Well, another mini Chrysler Building, anyway. New York-New York got there first.) The Smith Center certainly could have existed without more than two decades of theme architecture driving the conversation, but it’s less likely. Certainly, it wouldn’t have slotted in so naturally to a landscape that had adopted as its chief characteristic the defiantly unnatural. “The Smith Center really is an Art Deco homage,” Hess says. “It was kind of surprising when I first saw it, because there was very little else Deco in Las Vegas. The Smith Center wasn’t built to fit into a context. It just says ‘we’re culture, we’re Deco, we’re sophisticated,’ and used it for theming purposes as much as anything.” If form had a distinct evolution in Las Vegas from loose theming to the fantasy architecture of the Excalibur and Luxor, then function had an equally seismic shift when Martin Stern Jr. designed The International for Kirk Kerkorian, who opened it in 1969. The tri-wing tower was a form that would be oft-repeated in resort architecture afterward, but it was both the scope of the project (1,500 hotel rooms at a time when resorts often ran around a third of that number) and the way it
Sands, International renderings courtesy UNLV Special Collections Library; Wynn rendering courtesy Wynn Resorts
Curvilinear, Flash Gordon on MingAlert Spiral, McDonald’s Hamburger Parabola, Mint Casino Elliptical, Miami Beach Kidney” wrote, “Las Vegas and Versailles are the only two architecturally uniform cities in Western history.” You can hear hindsight laughing in the distance, but it’s a style that drew in the Modern resorts of Palm Springs in the 1920s and ’30s, metastasized them here, and spread them outward. The Valley Ho, for example, seized on the concept and opened as a Modern-styled desert resort in Scottsdale, Ariz., in 1956. A year later, George Vernon Russell, the architect of the original Flamingo in 1946, would aim to replicate the groundbreaking Vegas version in Santa Rosa, Calif., with its glass curtain walls and elegant stonework. You can still see the pylon sign just off the lobby entrance, just like its Las Vegas counterpart prior to the Flamingo’s 1953 renovation. “These large motor inns, though they were big motels, that development is a unique contribution of Las Vegas from that period to this entertainment, recreational architectural type,” Hess says. “None of those Las Vegas hotels from the ’40s or ’50s were ever published. They weren’t known. They certainly weren’t honored as anything new in the architectural profession, but they did have an effect in the industry because you will see those sorts of large, motel-based resorts usually called motor inns in other recreational places like Phoenix and San Diego and elsewhere. What Las Vegas invented with those had an effect. Now what Las Vegas is doing also is having an effect worldwide as casinos expand.” With both Caesars Palace and Circus Circus, Jay Sarno strapped earlier and more modest ideas about theming to a rocket ship and blasted it into high orbit. Caesars’ Roman styling was a revelation, and Las Vegas wasn’t going to let one guy have all the fun. Resorts had a new
Dare to flair: From left, the Sands, the International, and Wynn Las Vegas
integrated a low-rise casino with a high-rise hotel tower together that proved revolutionary. As corporations eagerly moved into Las Vegas, the architecture reflected it with the muted, safe designs of the Flamingo’s 1972 expansion, Stern’s 1973 MGM Grand and the 1978 Desert Inn remodel. It took until 1989 and the opening of Bergman’s Mirage to finally marry form and function in a quintessentially Las Vegas model. With its South Seas/Caribbean loose theming, high-design aims and a massive, 3,000-room footprint, The Mirage tied together the sophistication of the Sands, the fantasy of Caesars and the unified utility of The International. The approach wasn’t just copied on the Strip or in gaming markets like Atlantic City, but anywhere a new casino-resort could spring up, from The Star in Sydney to the Northeast tribal casinos like Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. Walk this way
Yet The Mirage had one other trick up its sleeve. The volcano wasn’t just a sidewalk attention-getter. Suddenly, it was worthwhile to walk along the Strip, even in the punishing heat of the summer. What began as a collection of properties built to serve the cars of Highway 91 was evolving into a pedestrian thoroughfare. Wynn duplicated the effect with the Treasure Island pirate battle and Bellagio fountains. Caesars piled on with the Forum Shops. This new pedestrianism took hold off the Strip as well, in (it should be noted, themed) projects like The District, Town
Square and Tivoli Village. The Strip, in turn, responded with Linq, the shopping center wrapping around the northwest corner of TI and The Park from MGM, set to tie into the new T-Mobile arena being built behind New York-New York. “Even though the Strip in the summer can be 115 degrees on a July afternoon, you still see thousands of people walking up and down,” Ewing says.“It doesn’t deter them for one minute.What spun out of that was Tivoli Village, and now Downtown Summerlin. I think the Strip helped prove people can be outside all the time and you can get a lot of use out of it. Now on the Strip you see the casinos opening themselves up to the outside where they didn’t used to.” The latest great evolution in Strip style is the high-design towers of Wynn, Encore, CityCenter, The Cosmopolitan and the shelved Fontainebleau. It’s a movement that hasn’t been lost on the rest of the gaming world. When Revel opened in Atlantic City in 2012, its swooping curved glass façade looked like it wouldn’t be out of place standing next to the Wynn. Neither would the MGM Grand Detroit, MGM Macau, Sands Macau or the City of Dreams on the Cotai Strip. “You have to stand up and say what would Macau look like today if they were building casinos and they did not have Las Vegas as a model?” Hess says. “I don’t think Macau would have come up with what they have been building. It just shows the influence of the Las Vegas model.” In Macau, Atlantic City, the Motor City — and anywhere else a nickel goes in a slot machine.
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generation next
Bright future in site: From left, Tina Wichmann, Craig Palacios, Dwayne Eshenbaugh, Jason Strodl, Jenifer Panars, Rob Gurdison
The thinking was that the recession was a time to pause and reflect on lessons learned — about putting growth before community and design, about the perils of making a desert metropolis out of stucco and wood. Whether we’ve learned those lessons is an open question, but one thing is for sure: These seven architects — with seven distinct approaches and philosophies — are thinking and working hard to build a more intentional post-recession Southern Nevada.
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Photo: Christopher Smith
These up-and-coming architectural talents bode well for Las Vegas’ next iteration of itself — whatever that may be
BUNNYFiSH Studio
Tina Wichmann, AIA Craig Palacios, aia Out with the old, in with the renewed BU NN Y Fi SH S t u di o i s a ll about the creative collision of opposites. The proof is in the DNA of partners Craig Palacios and Tina Wichmann, who first met as grad students at UNLV in 2005. “My immediate attraction to Tina was she was very willing to go against the grain,” Palacios explains. Wichmann had relocated to Las Vegas after many years living in Los Angeles. In Wichmann he found a business partner who wasn’t afraid to be pragmatic and who resisted fads. “It was refreshing for me.” As for Palacios, Wichmann describes him as “an amazing designer. He thinks in a way most people don’t. He helped stretch my mind to make me a better designer.” Put another way: “He’s the balloon and I’m kind of the person on the rooftop holding the string. We’re both on the rooftop and we’re both being weird, but you can’t be one or the other.” After graduation in 2007, the pair went to different firms. Palacios eventually struck out on his own, even working on a project or two from a table at The Beat coffee shop. When work picked up, he reached out to Wichmann in search of a “trusted equal.” “It was a no-brainer,” he says. “I had always wanted to be partners with Tina.” When she agreed, Bunnyfish launched in January 2011, and its style has developed with projects the firm has designed that are helping shape Downtown Las Vegas. “We don’t do historical preservation, although we can,” says Palacios. “We don’t do hyper modern building, although I believe we can. We look at things that are contextual and
try to combine two very different but interesting things that work together.” One of the first big projects was the renovation of the Inspire Theater, which they transformed from a drab, one-story ’50s storefront to a three-level mixed-used theater and venue complex. Wichmann and Palacios were interested neither in making old walls look new or in distressing new walls to make them look old. “If it’s old and contextual, we want it to look old and contextual,” says Palacios, “but if we make an intervention, we want you to say, ‘That’s new, that’s exciting.’” They’ve breathed new life into a variety of spaces Downtown, from the John E. Carson hotel building to the Gold Spike casino — a project that required them to rethink what a Vegas hotel might feel like without gaming. They realized millennials didn’t necessarily want to gamble, but they did want a particular kind of social experience: “What can I write about this? What can I post about this?” Supersized versions of games like Cornhole, Connect Four and Beer Pong transformed the former gaming spaces. It was, says Wichmann, “a game-changer not just for Bunnyfish, but for a lot of what people are doing at night. They don’t want to just sit in a bar and drown in their beer. They want to be up. They want to be active.” The job has helped springboard the studio’s career — they’re now being invited by big operators such as the El Cortez to repurpose shrinking casinos. They’ve also been tapped to complete a Renaissance by Marriott project in Reno. And they’re completing three master plans in the valley. For a firm that started at a coffee shop, Bunnyfish runs with the informal energy of a start up, and the firm’s small office in the Carson building doesn’t permit much in the way of hierarchy. “The way our business is running,” says Palacios, “is very much a part of starting at the coffee shop and being in Downtown Las Vegas.”
Novus Architecture
Dwayne Eshenbaugh, aia Taking the slow lane in a town where “fast architecture” is the rule Dwayne Eshenbaugh arrived in Las Vegas in 1984, as a carpenter in a U.S. Air Force combat engineering squadron. The Pittsburgh-area native was a talented artist who loved to build. When he left the Air Force, he took a job building townhomes and condos in Las Vegas, but knew he didn’t want to spend his whole career framing up homes in the dead of summer. So he enrolled at the School of Architecture at UNLV and began work as a runner for Lucchesi, Galati Architects. He worked his way up the ranks, designing the seminal Desert Living Center at the Springs Preserve, and eventually was made an owner at the firm in 2002. But in 2005, he branched out to join a few other firms. “I had to have another experience,” Eshenbaugh explains. By the summer of 2009, he was planning to venture out on his own, and not a moment too soon; he got laid off that fall. Like others, it was a rough and humbling stretch, but he gradually got Novus off the ground with commissions ranging from a coffee shop off 215, a local HQ for renowned photographer Peter Lik, and a sleek HQ on the west side for an energy efficiency consulting company. When asked about the visual style of Las Vegas, Eshenbaugh says he sees a fragmented vernacular. “The Strip has a certain set of rules that are very open-ended,” he says. “It’s a place for insane creativity where insane money is spent.” But it also yields a fast-paced development aesthetic that has shaped the look of everything in the valley from
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schools to homes to rec centers. “When you’re in that mode you don’t have time to develop really, really strong architecture.” But he sees the arrival of sophisticated large companies in the state like Tesla and Switch as sign that architecture and design may be ready to move forward. It’s a combination of sophisticated clients, government, builders and designers working together, and willing to look at projects differently. “We have clients that don’t necessarily really care or communicate in a sustainable way. They want something down and dirty. Other clients are really forward-thinking, they really want to be innovative.” It’s not about making a statement, he adds, but about being responsible. Novus is located in a handsome storefront on Charleston and Main. Despite his years here, Eshenbaugh didn’t know a lot about Downtown, but he knew he and his wife, an art consultant, wanted to be part of a more urban culture, and they live close to Downtown as well. “There’s truly a great sense of community down here with other design firms, cultural creatives, and likeminded business owners.”
Adapture Architecture
Jason Strodl, aia Dedicated to building homes with heart (and soul) Though Las Vegas native Jason Strodl began his architecture career in Las Vegas with local firm Welles Pugsley Simpson (now Pugsley Simpson Coulter Architects), when he left to complete a master’s degree at UCLA in the early aughts, he had no plans to return home. Instead, he went to work for prominent Los Angeles Firm Marmol Radziner. Still, he knew he wanted to start his own company, and the prospect
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of doing that in his hometown was more compelling than in L.A. So he and his wife moved back at the end of 2005 and bought a house. The recession was looming, and he considered putting the brakes on striking out on his own, but as the architectural community in town entered a phase of catastrophic layoffs, he realized he had no option: No one was hiring. So, working for a while off his dining room table, he launched Jason Strodl Adapture in 2008, a design-build firm. “Design doesn’t end when the plans get submitted to the building department,” Strodl explains. “Design happens through the course of the project. … It’s the process of making that is as intriguing to us as the process of doodling and sketching and designing. We see design bridging both of those activities.” Strodl is also a licensed general contractor, so his firm’s approach allows him to make adjustments to a building as it’s being built. “I like getting my hands dirty. I like being out in the field.” Adapture focuses much of its work on the residential side. From the beginning of his career, Strodl has felt a connection to designing and building homes. “I kind of fell in love with the home and what the home can mean to a private individual or a family. We’re capable of creating better lives out there.” One of his first projects was for a young family that had bought a piece of land and wanted to build a house on it. They came to Strodl with a “dream house” plan they had purchased from the site’s previous owner. That plan was typical Las Vegas — a big and flashy “Mediterranean”-style home. Strodl coaxed them toward a much more modern design that embraces the desert environs, which the couple fell in love with. One of his most striking designs is an unbuilt home for empty-nesters in Blue Diamond called the Armadillo House, which features laser-cut screens
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that could be folded over windows to protect the home from sun and wind, as well as photovoltaic panels and a green roof. The house was also designed to gently rest on caissons slightly above the desert to allow existing drainage and flora to co-exist with the house. When the recession hit, he also experimented with a prefab design that would allow homeowners to build houses on land owned by a municipality and then, as the economy improved, sell their homes — or literally pick them up and move them to a new location. Adapture is also designing a contemporary home with indoor-outdoor spaces facing Lone Mountain. Sliding glass walls will open onto outdoor living spaces protected by long, flat roof overhangs. Strodl believes the city’s architectural community embraced commercial work at the expense of residential work during the city’s long late 20th century boom. For a moment, Las Vegas’ residential vernacular had grown alongside the legendary Mid-century Modern homes of another fabled desert community, Palm Springs. But Palm Springs was more successful at staying the course. It’s left a vacuum of quality residential work in town that Strodl aims to fill. “Our architectural past (and present) may be a mixed bag of good and bad intentions, but to be a city known for more than its weekend binges, the future of our architectural identity is at stake.”
Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects
Jenifer Panars, aia Her passion for architecture literally began at home Jenifer Panars did not grow up dreaming of being an architect. But the writing may have been on the wall for the 2015 AIA Nevada Young
Architect of the Year winner, anyway: Her stepmother was an artist, and her dad was an engineer. When her family bought land in Las Vegas to build a home on, Panars watched as her folks pored over the evolving plans. Intrigued, she decided to take a drafting class and eventually entered the prestigious design school at the University of Michigan. Panars got to know Las Vegas during summer vacations. She also got to know powerhouse local firm Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects: first during a spring break internship, then as a summer intern. When she graduated in 2007, she spent a summer working with a small architectural firm in Croatia on a school project, then moved to Las Vegas, went
to work for TSKA, and began a full-time courseload at UNLV to complete her master’s degree. Her hard work has certainly paid off: She’s quickly risen through the ranks at TSKA. As a project manager, she coordinates work among architects, clients and contractors. The 30-yearold has put her design and managerial stamp on a variety of projects. One of these is a new DMV service center on East Sahara Avenue, a challenging project given the opinion most people have of the DMV. “You’re designing a building no one wants to go to,” says Panars. “The whole idea is to reduce stress.” Panars and her colleagues studied circulation diagrams for months to design a space
that would be intuitive to use. High windows stretching along the curving roof will bring in natural light to the central area, making it easy for visitors to orient themselves. With a colleague, she also entered a design competition in Reno, which asked designers to take an up-andcoming industrial site with two metal buildings and reimagine them as housing and mixed-used spaces for a younger generation. Panars and her design partner converted one of the buildings into a food market hall, then designed various housing solutions around it, including live-work and communal living spaces. The plan also called for a bike repair shop and community garden. Their design finished second.
PUGSLEY SIMPSON COULTER ARCHITECTS
www.pscarchitects.com
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Maybe Panars’ most satisfying job to date was the John Miller School, a school for kids and young adults with physical and mental handicaps. The school is classified as an elementary school, but students range in age from 3 to 22, though they may only be at the developmental level of a 3- to 4-year old. The school features wider hallways, large doors and natural light, along with a health center to cater to students’ needs. In addition to helping others, she’s also helping the profession by taking a leadership role in the architectural community. She was elected to the AIA Las Vegas chapter’s board as its Emerging Professionals Director. There she leads Hard Hat Tours to introduce young architects to the intricacies of actual construction sites. She also runs Memoir Mondays, which connects young professionals with experienced architects. She sees her involvement as an investment in the future of her home. “We’re starting to gain some ground as a city with some decent buildings in it. It takes time.”
Make Studios
Rob Gurdison, aia His entrepreneurial approach speaks the language of Vegas Rob Gu rd i s o n u s e d to think Las Vegas would be better if everything looked like Mid-century Modern, but exposure to a variety of styles, whether Mission Revival, Mediterranean, even Victorian, changed his mind. The older styles, he says, had much to teach, like rhythm and scale, repetition, proportion, the nature of materials. Growing up in Las Vegas meant seeing so “many different types of styles,
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designs, and philosophies, architectures that really inform the built environment” that it was possible to think of a Vegas vernacular as a singular idea. That appreciation for diversity helped propel him into the unknown a few years ago, when he left respected firm Carpenter Sellers Del Gatto and struck out on his own. “I’ve always wanted to do something like this, but I knew if I didn’t do it then, I would have never done it.” He asked himself, “Do I really want to have money dictate my love for architecture?” So, with three other partners in the summer of 2015, he started a pair of architect-led design-build firms, Make Design and Make Studios. “I was always very fascinated with doing things handson. The first 20 years of my career was very theoretical: Draw it, someone else builds. When someone else gets your drawing they shake their head and say, ‘No, you have to do it this way.’” Make is about balancing the needs of the client, the feasibility of the project and a space where the firm can “build, experiment and have fun and have the client part of that journey.” Gurdison has worked on a variety of local projects, from Atomic Liquors to the funky Madhouse Coffee shop on the west side, to the hip Skinny Fats restaurant in the southwest valley. He’s working on a bar project in the Arts District and is a partner in a cannabis testing lab. He also served as a design consultant in a micro greenhouse and wound up as a part owner. It’s part of the thrill of not just designing a building, but having a stake in it as well. “I love getting paid for risk,” he says. “I love making money on risk.” He’s also worked on projects with developer Steven Molasky. Learning the development ropes is the next step in Make’s evolution. “If an architect can be exposed to understanding development, or economy, or business models, then I think that’s the best prelude to the next
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step — which is programming.” Gurdison hopes to turn Make into a complete solution — identifying projects to develop, finding partners, designing them and building them. It’s a spirited entrepreneurialism that may represent the true vernacular of Las Vegas. “This is kind of the middle of the desert, no-man’s land,” he says. “You can come out here and try whatever you want to try. If you can talk to someone who has the money and you can get them to believe in your philosophy and design, you’re doing it. You can build it.”
Atlas Architecture
BRETT ROBILLARD, AIA In a city that feels fleeting and temporary, his architecture embraces the moment When architect Brett Robillard moved to Las Vegas in 2006, his assignment for architectural firm Carlos Zapata Studio was breathtaking: Design the mammoth Fontainebleau Hotel. For an architect who had cut his teeth in architectural capitals such as New York, Shanghai and Chicago, he was confident he could show Vegas a thing or to about great design. The recession had other ideas. By late 2008, the project was looking shaky, but everyone assumed the hotel was simply too big too fail. By 2009, that optimism was gone. Now it was just a question of how high the Fontainebleau would rise before the money ran out. “It was a heartbreaker for me,” Robillard, AIA, recalls. “I’d put so much into it. In retrospect, living here in the valley and looking out at the building, and
seeing the critique of it has been kind of a learning process for me, and humbling.” But the Boston-area native decided to stay in Las Vegas, and took a job with industry powerhouse Gensler. Despite a brief return to Boston after the recession, he eventually became design director of Gensler’s Las Vegas office. But all along he had harbored the dream of starting his own firm. He wanted to get back to the basics — the craft — of design. So Robillard left Gensler in October and opened Atlas. One of his first projects on his own is a tilt-up concrete warehouse enlivened with a patterned, multi-colored façade and a perforated metal skin over the entrance. He says the project is already 50 percent leased, an indication that
people don’t want to just go to work in a drab industrial space. “They want a sense of joy and uplift and they deserve it.” He’s working on a small cycling fitness studio in Summerlin, a few home projects in The Ridges — including one whose client is interested in “creating a house that dissolves into the landscape.” He’s also working on a mixed-use project in the Arts District, as well as a home in the new Summit development south of The Ridges. Despite stints in some of the most fascinating architectural cities in the world, Vegas had its own lessons to impart, about what Robillard calls “this idea of the temporary. I think architecture and architects in general too often don’t recognize the power of
the moment. I learned that being here and nowhere else.” Architecture, he says, has to the power to be nothing less than “a memory-making engine,” to imbue a place with the capacity for memory. He wants architecture in Vegas to take itself seriously enough so that it doesn’t become a caricature, a mere seduction designed to take tourists’ money. But there’s a place to let some of the Strip’s sense of unabashed spectacle influence architects into having some fun. “I don’t think you want to live in Las Vegas to turn your back on the thing that made it what it is,” he says. “I think it’s OK to have a little glitz and a little glam in your life.” — T.R. Witcher
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Tours de force From snazzy mid-mod homes to significant buildings on the Strip, we have a tour to match your architectural passion Aria Resort & Casino PAGE
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THE STRIP The Las Vegas Strip has been blown-up and remade more often than Wile E. Coyote, but adaptation and constant reinvention have long been at the core of the city’s famed resort corridor.
Aria: Christopher Smith; Peppermill: Brent Holmes; Caesars Palace, Westgate, Mirage: courtesy images
Aria Resort & Casino
Aria is a modernist visual treat inside and out, comprising two counterpoising, crescent-shaped, fritted blue-glass towers that join to form an open center bound by a podium. Designed by super-architect Cesar Pelli, its continuous membrane features subtle ridges that create recesses for added texture and scale. Visitors enter under a faceted canopy into glossy spaces, many designed by Peter Marino. At more than six million square feet, Aria makes a big statement: It’s CityCenter’s largest structure and the embodiment of its architectural ambition. 3730 Las Vegas Blvd. S. Peppermill Fireside Lounge
The classic Vegas haunt remains true to its 1970s swagger. It has only been renovated once in 44 years, when the new owners incorporated more muted colors, with deep mauves and blues. This standalone throwback lounge is dark and intimate, accented by bands of purple and blue light, with large tables and deep, plush couches. Its signature element is a sunken, circular, crushedvelvet couch encircling a fire pit with flames dancing atop a
pool of electric-blue water. The Peppermill was featured in Martin Scorsese’s 1995 film Casino. 2985 Las Vegas Blvd. S. Caesars Palace
Developer Jay Sarno’s $25 million, 700-room Caesars Palace established a new era of hotel-casino decadence when it opened in 1966, using classical statuary, marble-white columns and toga-outfitted employees to establish its Romanesque fantasy theme.The entry is marked by a long axis of fountains, pools and statues, immortalized by Evel Knievel’s unsuccessful motorcycle jump in 1967. Initially, Caesars had a dazzling white exterior of scalloped blocks and column pedestals, with a vast, low, windowless casino and a shallow dome over the gaming pit. Although little of the original hotel still exists after years of additions and remodels, it’s still worth a visit to pay tribute to this 50-year-old Strip empire. 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
made a cameo in the 1964 Elvis film Viva Las Vegas. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 4617 Las Vegas Blvd. S. The Mirage
The Mirage is the original mack-daddy megaresort. Designed by Joel Bergman (a Martin Stern Jr. protégé), the 3,044-room, Polynesianthemed hotel and casino set a new Strip standard for luxury when it opened in 1989. At the time, the $630 million Steve Wynn property was the most expensive resort ever built, and the first done so with Wall Street money. The hotel towers are sheathed in gold, while the entrance consists of four acres of lagoons and lush landscaping, with a 40-foot waterfall and erupting volcano centerpiece. It’s seductive, immediately transporting guests visually and emotionally into a tropical paradise. 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S. Westgate Las Vegas
Little Church
Resort & Casino
of the West
Before it was the Westgate, LVH or Las Vegas Hilton, it was Kirk Kerkorian’s $60 million, 1,519-room International — the largest, most lavish resort of its day when it opened in 1969. The tri-wing tower complex had white marble floors, chandeliers and a 2,000-seat showroom. The design by architect Martin Stern Jr. took into account traffic flow and the complex items needed for an aesthetically engaging, fully functioning campus that became a self-sufficient minicity. It’s the same playbook in use today. 3000 Paradise Road
Opened in 1942, this late Gothic revival-style church, designed by architect William J. Moore, is the Strip’s oldest standing building. The 42-footlong by 19-foot-wide California redwood structure replicates a pioneer town church with an open-beamed, vaulted ceiling, 10 pine pews, stained-glass windows and a spire. Moved twice to escape the wrecking ball, the church remains intact. It's hosted several weddings of celebrities, including Judy Garland, Dudley Moore, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Richard Gere. It even
Caesars Palace
Westgate Las Vegas
Peppermill Fireside Lounge
The Mirage
— Tony Illia
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La Concha Lobby/Neon Museum
MIDCENTURY MODERN In a parallel Las Vegas, one where the financial boom of the 1990s never took place, this tour would have included the Sands, the Landmark, the original Flamingo, the original Riviera and the original Convention Center. Fortunately, a few midcentury survivors remain, in styles ranging from Googie to Brutalist.
Guardian Angel, La Concha: Christopher Smith; Paradise Palms, Brent Holmes, Flora Dungan Humanities: Aaron Mayes/UNLV Photo Services
Guardian Angel Cathedral
Architect Paul Revere Williams was a busy man throughout the 1950s and ’60s; he designed houses for stars such as Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball, and helped create Los Angeles International Airport’s iconic Theme Building.That said, Guardian Angel Cathedral — built in 1963 on land donated by then-Desert Inn owner Moe Dalitz — is one of his most spectacular designs: a towering A-frame with a zigzag roof and triangular windows. And its interior, with seating for 1,100 congregants, is every bit as impressive:Those windows look even larger than they do from the outside, admitting natural light through tall, sharp recesses in the ceiling. 302 Cathedral Way Paradise Palms
Las Vegas doesn’t have a fraction of the historic preservation protections that Palm Springs has in place, but when you drive through this neighborhood — a wonderland of ranch-style
dwellings with patterned block walls, clerestory windows and trimming the colors of sherbet — you can easily pretend that we do. Developed in the early 1960s by Irwin Molasky, with an assist from gangster/philanthropist Moe Dalitz, Paradise Palms was home to everyone from Debbie Reynolds to Jay Sarno to Juan Garcia Esquivel; today, it’s home to Generation X types who wear suits to visit Disneyland. And they’re doing a nice job keeping up the place. Pawnee Drive, south of East Desert Inn Road La Concha Lobby/Neon Museum
The Neon Museum is ground zero of the Las Vegas historic preservation effort:When this city throws away its classic neon signs, this institution saves them. And in 2005, it managed to save an entire building: Paul Revere Williams’ 1961 lobby for the La Concha motel, formerly located south of the Riviera on Las Vegas Boulevard.The curvilinear, seashell-inspired build-
ing was cut into pieces, hoisted onto trucks and moved nearly four miles to the north, where it now functions as the Neon Museum’s lobby. And if you look around the Museum’s Boneyard, hey, whaddya know? The La Concha’s sign survived, too. 770 Las Vegas Blvd. N. Flora Dungan Humanities Building
UNLV’s tallest building was designed by the firm of (Walter) Zick & (Harris) Sharp and opened in 1972. Prior to that, Zick & Sharp created such iconic buildings as the Moulin Rouge (1955), The Mint (1957) and the original Clark County Courthouse (1961) — every one of which is now gone. The Dungan building is one of Zick & Sharp’s few surviving designs, and its white-and-copper façade has aged well. Be sure to steal a look at its cathedrallike, two-story foyer. 4505 S. Maryland Parkway
with its distinctive boomerang roof, still serving up Moons Over My Hammy — but this Denny’s, a block north of the Stratosphere Tower, is doing just that. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like much from the road — inexplicably, its back door faces the road, obscuring its shape — and the interior looks like it’s been remodeled several times. But at least it’s still a diner, which can’t be said for Armét & Davis’s 1960 Bob’s Big Boy, a short distance to the north. It’s now A Wedding Chapel — seriously, that’s its legal name — with only its softly bowed roof and spire sign to tell you what it was. 1826 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 1431 Las Vegas Blvd. N. — Geoff Carter
Flora Dungan Humanities
Denny’s/A Wedding Chapel Paradise Palms
Two classic pieces of 1950s coffee-shop architecture, designed by the firm of (Louis) Armét & (Eldon) Davis, sit within blocks of each other on a less fashionable stretch of LasVegas Boulevard. It’s rare to see one of Armét & Davis’s circa-1958 Denny’s designs,
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Zappos
Inspire Theater
ADAPTIVE REUSE
ZAPPOS
The modernist wedge, designed by Daniel Mann Johnson and Mendenhall, that served as City Hall since 1973 doesn’t look like it’s changed much since Zappos moved into the building in 2012. Where’s the adaptive reuse? Step inside, where former claustrophobic office warrens have been swept out for Zappos’ open-office regime. (You can book a tour at zapposinsights.com.) But
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Emergency Arts
adaptive reuse is as much as about preserving as altering: Admirably, Zappos has cleaned and repaired the exterior, adding only a modest neon sign to announce the new tenant. It’s a study in the spirit of adaptive reuse: knowing when to leave well enough alone. 400 Stewart Ave. INSPIRE THEATER
This project by Bunnyfish Studio seems like a complete transformation of the 1952 building on the southeast corner of Fremont and Las Vegas Boulevard, from a single-story cornershop to a labyrinthine, three-level bar/ cafe/theater/speakeasy. But consider what lies beneath:The original concrete walls and dramatic bow-truss ceiling remain. In its new life, it functions as both an impulse stop (the cafe) and destination (its theater and bars), reflecting the diverse energies of the new Downtown. 107 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
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MOB MUSEUM
This adaptive reuse project by historic preservation architects Westlake Reed Leskosky is thematically pitch-perfect:The former courthouse actually hosted the infamous Kefauver hearings from 1950-1951, a government inquiry into the mob. On the outside, the building’s stately, sober civic design remains. Inside, historic elements — such as the courtroom — live next to innovative, interactive exhibits. 300 Stewart Ave.
The Mob Museum
EMERGENCY ARTS
And now for a completely different adaptive reuse project. Rather than a wholly conceived, unified project, Emergency Arts has turned a former J.C. Penney (and, after that, a medical clinic) into an ad hoc, patchwork hive of galleries, shops, offices, services and hangouts.The Beat anchors the ground level; on the second
floor, you’ll find a foot spa down the hall from a CPA down the hall from a web design company; on the third floor are the El Cortez’ administrative offices. Its everything-to-everyone approach has made Emergency Arts the nerve center for much of Downtown’s moving and shaking. 520 Fremont St.
Zappos, John E. Carson: Brent Holmes; Inspire Theater, Emergency Arts: Scott Lien
The timeworn truism goes that Vegas implodes its past with the relish of a mad bomber, but we deserve more credit than that. This Downtown tour of adaptive reuse projects — that is, old buildings given fresh, innovative new life — proves that our yen for reinvention involves more than explosive charges.
Mob Museum: Christopher Smith
JOHN E. CARSON HOTEL
It’s hard to believe this home to hot spots such as Carson Kitchen and Bocho Downtown Sushi was once a dive hotel. As re-envisioned by Bunnyfish Studio, it’s become a bustling electron swarm of urban activity, encouraged by intelligently restrained reinvention. For instance, the
interior parking lot has been transformed into a surprisingly spacious courtyard. Amid the anchor restaurants, small businesses and micro-offices take up former living spaces. Keeping the original blue-andwhite color palette maintains the building’s tie with pre-hip Downtown. 24 S. Sixth St.
John E. Carson Hotel
— Andrew Kiraly
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How a building uses its setting contributes to its success not only as a building, but as an element of the community. Here are six that do it right.
Clark County Government Center
The Clark County Government Center, completed in 1995, was the first major building in the wasteland stretch of Downtown between the Union Pacific train tracks and Interstate 15. It proved a strong enough anchor to attract a hodgepodge of buildings that operate at totally different scales and seem to have no relationship to each other. But it’s testament to the coolly dazzling home for the county HQ that there is a there there now.
The building, with its red sandstone façade and carved Indian petroglyphs, is meant to evoke the natural landscapes of Red Rock or Valley of Fire. And it works on the site because it uses the site. The building reads as a series of moments and places that draw you in: the funky pyramid at the corner, the curving green amphitheater framing the building’s main cylindrical atrium, the office floors recessed behind twostory columns. The steady proportions keep the building from feeling one-note, and they communicate a sense that the county is, by and large, a responsible steward of the people. 500 S. Grand Central Parkway
from its original location at the Desert Inn Country Club to the corner of Ninth Street and Bridger Avenue in 2001. And, man, does it hold that corner — the former home of Sands Hotel house orchestra conductor Antonio Morelli is angled at 45 degrees, the better to show off its long and lean Midcentury lines. The desert landscaping is light on its feet, and the light blue door,
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Greenspun Hall
One of the ongoing missed opportunities of urban Las Vegas is the pitiful stretch of Maryland Parkway around UNLV, between Trop and Flamingo. But UNLV’s Greenspun Hall shows what that street could be. The
The Morelli House
Originally built in 1959, the Morelli House was moved The Morelli House
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framed all around by glass panels, is an invitation to come inside and step back in time. 861 E. Bridger Ave.
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Greenspun Hall
Clark County Government Center, Morelli, Desert Living Center: courtesy images
SITESPECIFIC
Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health
Ruvo Center, Las Vegas Academy: Brent Holmes
Clark County Government Center
handsome building, which opened in 2008, comes right up to the edge of Maryland, and it’s capped by a tall sandstone plinth, on which the letters UNLV are embossed in an elegant serif typeface (the sans-serif-y typography around the campus is underwhelming). It gives a moment of powerful definition and identity to a street in need of both. 4505 S. Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas Academy
There are a handful of buildings in Downtown Las Vegas that use their sites well. The Fifth Street School and the Lloyd George Federal Courthouse both play off of each other across Las Vegas Boulevard. But the Art Deco Las Vegas Academy, built in 1930, offers a simple object lesson in the power of symmetry to make a site. Go down there and walk around;
Desert Living Center
its ochre color and even frame hold the site, claim the site, own the site in a way that few other buildings in Las Vegas can match.Yet it fits in perfectly well on just a portion of an ordinary city block. It asserts both its own strength and the strength of the urban grid without lording it over neighboring buildings. 315 S. Seventh St. Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health
Las Vegas Academy
Frank Gehry’s 2010 building, situated across the street from the government center, pulls the opposite trick. Instead of receding off the intersection to establish a graceful approach to the building, it meets the northeast corner aggressively, flamboyantly showing off its curling ribbons
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of steel. It is naked in its grab to be an icon. It’s guileless starchitecture for a guileless town, and it works. 888 W. Bonneville Ave. Desert Living Center
The Desert Living Center, the centerpiece of the Las Vegas Springs Preserve, which opened in 2008, reconceptualizes the idea of what a site can be in Las Vegas. Too often we think of the desert as something to either transform with lush lawns and palm trees or to keep at bay with our walls. The Living Center welcomes the desert, plays with it and embodies the beauty of working within its constraints. 333 S. Valley View Blvd. — T.R. Witcher
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PUBLIC BUILDINGS Public architecture can be tricky — should it opt for a bland cube that signals to taxpayers “efficient use of your dollars here!” (the cop shop on Alta Drive) or should it try, possibly too hard, to convey an uplifting community message (the glassy prosperity gospel of the Las Vegas City Hall)? Fortunately for our streetscapes, some public buildings take place-making as one of their duties.
Its charms may be relatively modest, in purely objective terms. But consider the context. The site: sandwiched between a concrete parking garage and a solar array-slashparking lot on a street full of strip malls. The expectations: probably pretty low, considering that it’s a firehouse — most would agree that simple functionality would’ve been fine. Now look at the building: the stately rising glass, the roofline’s playfully stylized echoes of the surrounding desert mountains. Without trying to be a gaudy statement, it does what few enough government-issue buildings attempt: aesthetically enliven its site. 575 E. Flamingo Road Mormon Fort Visitors Center
A gem, this one — from the cantilevered roof jutting out in eager welcome, to its siteappropriate scale, to some canny material selections that echo the fort’s heritage. It may lack the statement-making bravado of some nearby
landmarks, namely Antoine Predock’s Las Vegas Library and the curvy La Concha lobby fronting the Neon Museum. But in declining to pull smug, modern rank on the ramshackle historical site it commemorates, Assemblage Studio's design turns restraint into a plus for a public structure: a lovely building that knows its place. 500 E. Washington Ave. Sahara West Library
Beginning with the 1990 opening of the Las Vegas Library, the library district embarked on a building spree that’s been called “one of the most far-reaching and significant architectural programs in the country.” These were architecturally sophisticated buildings, too, not mere book shacks. Perhaps its jewel is the Sahara West Library, designed by Minneapolis-based MSR Design. From its large gestures (a spacious entry courtyard) to its small details (the clear plastic rods that pierce the barrel-like main structure to
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Red Rock Visitors Center
The spacious main building holds few surprises — it required no particular genius to frame the view of Red Rock in a massive window. But the informational kiosks out back? Now those are a lot of fun. Themed after fire, water, air and earth, they utilize clever visual iconography (swirly blue pipes denote air, undulating orange ones for fire) and nimble sheltering structures to ease you through the playfully concepted edutainment dioramas. Because you’re outdoors, you’re never not aware of the area’s natural grandeur, but these small installations remind you that quality design — in this case, by Tucson-based Line and Space — can articulate a site to improve your experience of it. 1000 Scenic Loop Drive — Scott Dickensheets
Mormon Fort Visitor's Center
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funnel in light), it’s a glorious example of the way public architecture can create vital community spaces. 9600 W. Sahara Ave.
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Fire station, Sahara West Library : Brent Holmes; Mormon Fort: Scott Lien; Lied Library: Aaron Mayes/UNLV Photo Services
Fire Station 18
Lied Library
While UNLV’s campus is too much of an architectural patchwork for some — it lacks that idealized, unified “higher-ed” feel — this pastiche approach does create leeway for a big dog like this awardwinning campus library, opened in 2001 and designed by Leo A. Daley and Welles Pugsley Architects (now Pugsley. Simpson. Coulter. Architects). Visually, its mass, barrel ceiling and zinc-alloy skin establish it as a campus anchor, and the huge windows looking into the vast interior lend it a becoming lightness and transparency. 4505 S. Maryland Parkway issue 1 0 / 2 0 1 6
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60 Years
in a bright, bright city
From its start as a dusty railroad stop to the global tourism destination it is today, Las Vegas has always had design on its mind. Our neon signs, Strip architecture, sleek homes and civic buildings – not to mention our desert’s stark beauty – have attracted countless visitors and residents. In celebration of the AIA Las Vegas Chapter’s 60th anniversary, here are 60 places, people and moments in design and architecture that define our vibrant city. Andrew Kiraly
1956 The Las Vegas Chapter of the AIA launches, with noted Las Vegas architect Walter F. Zick elected as its first president. Founding member George Tate recalled, “AIA meetings were interesting in those days — usually more social than business." The swimming pool Before gambling was Vegas' signature attraction, one of the city's main draws was the pool. Casinos were often designed with the pool out front to attract parched PAGE
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passers-by. The Hacienda opened in 1956 with the largest on the Strip, in the shape of a Z.
1958 The Stardust hotel opens, Vegas' first 1,000-room hotel. Fronted by an enormous, iconic sign, the box-like hotel structure sparks a wave of competitive hotel expansion.
“Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign:
Betty Willis’ iconic 1959 sign — jaunty, classy and stylish — quickly becomes emblematic of the Vegas vibe.
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1959 The distinctly Space Age-style Las Vegas Convention Center opens, reinforcing the Vegas aesthetic and marking our big bet on the convention business.
Welcome sign, Caesars Palace: UNLV Special Collections Library, Morelli House: Christopher Smith; Tate, Williams, Zick, Sharp: AIA Las Vegas
Ocean’s 11 This 1960 film, pulsing with Vegas verve, raises the city’s cool quotient and brings attention to Sin City style. George Tate The longtime architect, working for Zick & Sharp, designed the original Clark County Courthouse on Bridger Avenue, among other local buildings. Jim McDaniels He gave a fledgling UNLV much of its original look, with the original UNLV library, the student union and Artemus Ham Hall.
Caesars Palace
George Tate
Morelli house Sands bandleader Antonio Morelli oversees construction of this ultraswank home, designed by architect Hugh Taylor, in 1959. Reflecting Las Vegas’ preservation ethos, it’s moved from the Desert Inn Country Club Estates to Ninth and Bridger Avenue in September 2001.
Paul Revere Williams Pioneering African-American architect designs such iconic spaces as the Guardian Angel Cathedral (1963) and the La Concha (1961), notable for their dramatic, kinetic forms.
treatment in 1966 to 1973’s outsized version at the original MGM Grand, marking the point where the porte cochère eclipsed the sign as casino's main visual attraction.
1964
Howard Hughes arrives in Las Vegas, opening the door for corporate ownership of casinos, igniting a new era of investment in casino development and design.
Seminal New Journalist Tom Wolfe publishes his famous essay, “Las Vegas (What?) Las Vegas (Can't hear you! Too noisy) Las Vegas!!!!” in Esquire, marveling at our city's largerthan-life ethos.
1966
Paul Revere Williams
Viva Las Vegas Elvis’ 1964 film manages to celebrate the city’s freewheeling spirit in wholesome fashion.
art form, from the Aladdin’s elaborate Zick & Sharp
Jay Sarno Jay Sarno opens Caesars in 1966, notable for its dedicated theme — a Vegas obsession well through the ’90s.
Morelli House
The porte cochère Vegas has turned the covered structure into an
The celebrated architectural duo, mostly associated with the aesthetics of the ’60s, design dozens of local schools, banks, civic buildings, homes in mid-mod style, from Hyde Park Middle School to UNLV’s Humanities building.
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Paradise Palms
1968
Sunset Park Purchased by the county in 1967, it continues to be one of Las Vegas’ most popular and well-designed green spaces.
The Boulevard Mall opens, sparking the suburbanization of Las Vegas, but also making it the commercial anchor for neighborhoods such as Paradise Palms.
1967-68 The Las Vegas Country Club is completed. Its look is notable for its attempt to create a decidedly Vegas design vernacular suited for a desert lifestyle. The Rat Pack In 1960, The Rat Pack performs a three-week run at the Sands, cementing Vegas as coolsville.
1968 With Las Vegas growing, the city taps AIA Las Vegas to develop a master plan for Downtown, which foresaw a green area and government center. Paradise Palms Developed in the 1960s, the Paradise Palms PAGE
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neighborhood in central Las Vegas reflects many facets of Mid-century Modern design. Hugh Taylor An unsung figure in Las Vegas architecture, Taylor came the closest to establishing a native Vegas design vocabulary. He’s known mostly for his stylish homes in Paradise Palms, the Desert Inn Estates and Downtown’s Beverly Green.
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Homer Rissman Helping define Vegas’ brash, nowhere-elsebut-here architectural aesthetic, Rissman was responsible for Circus Circus’ iconic circustent design and other notable Strip sights, such as the riverboat on the Strip’s Holiday Casino.
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Martin Stern The architect of Kirk Kerkorian’s International (1969) innovated standard hotel-casino features such as the Y-style hotel design, later adopted by the Mirage, Mandalay Bay, Venetian and others. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Published in 1971, Hunter S. Thompson’s dark, cartoonish vision of Vegas only adds to our city’s strange mystique. Themes Pyramids, Parisian streets,
Learning from Las Vegas Long dismissed as gaudy, the signage and architecture of the Strip received studied consideration by architects Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour in this seminal 1972 book, arguing for Vegas as the birthplace of postmodernism.
1972 The Stardust sign appears on the cover of Art in
America — the only commercial sign to ever appear on the cover of the publication. Julio Lucchesi The longtime local architect led the efforts to establish a school of architecture at UNLV, which was originally housed in the home of J. Kell Houssels, known as Houssels House. Neon Though it was developed in 1910, the neon sign came to define Las Vegas’ visual iconography — useful for its brightness, of course, but also for its long life, making it attractive and affordable.
Paradise Palms: Clay Heximer; Sands: UNLV Special Collections Library; Risman: AIA Las Vegas; M Resort: courtesy M Resort
pirate battles — Vegas’ themes have attracted millions of tourists, and also made Vegas a place where the concept of place itself is playfully questioned.
YESCO, founded in 1920 in Ogden, Utah, but heavily associated with Vegas, designs and builds icons from Vegas Vic to the Circus Circus clown to classic signage for the Sahara and the Rio.
YESCO: UNLV Special Collections Library; Flashlight: UNLV Photo Services
1980 The MGM fire happens on Nov. 21, 1980, killing 87. The tragedy leads to code and safety reforms for all high-occupancy buildings in the U.S. The Kiwanis Water Conservation Park and Desert Garden This educational park opened in 1980 at Alta and Valley View, and was the kernel for what would later become the Springs Preserve, which continues
The M Resort
to educate the public about adaptive desert living. Summerlin Announced in 1988 and still under development, the sprawling, master-planned community defines the suburban experience in Southern Nevada, from custom mansions to stucco subdivisions. The Mirage Opened in 1989, the upscale casino signals the modern gaming resort, and marks the start of a Strip building boom that would last 20 years. Contemporary Arts Center Opened in 1989 as the Contemporary Arts Collective, the UNLVaffiliated gallery and exhibit space remains on the vanguard of visual arts in Southern Nevada.
Tony Marnell The architect and developer of hotels such as The Rio and M Resort introduces the design-build practice, allowing properties to save on costs and open sooner.
1993 Marking the start of the Vegas boom years with the implosion of the Dunes, this year sees the opening of Treasure Island, the Luxor and the new MGM Grand.
The Claes Oldenburg flashlight
Installed in 1981, UNLV’s famous flashlight remains one of the most long-standing and revered pieces of public art in Las Vegas.
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2009: CityCenter — designed by a veritable dream team of starchitects — opens, making art and design part of the visitor experience.
AIA National Convention in Las Vegas, cementing our city as a locus of dialogue about design and architecture.
2007 The Fremont East Entertainment District completes a $5.5 million beautification, aiming to recast Downtown as a place for arts, culture and entertainment.
The Huntridge Theater
1997 The New York-New York opens, bringing the Strip's love of theming to a new peak.
With its signature Art Moderne tower, Huntridge Theater is placed on the National Register of Historic places in 1993.
1999 Terminal 3
Las Vegas Academy Converted to an arts academy in 1993, the Las Vegas Academy remains a high-profile example of adaptive reuse.
1994
Stratosphere
Randy Lavigne becomes executive director of AIA Las Vegas, dedicated to promoting the architecture and architects of Las Vegas.
Opened in 1996, the tower is one of Vegas’ most high-profile landmarks, and continues to give our skyline a sense of identity.
1995 Designed by Jon Jerde, the Fremont Street Experience opens; the canopy-covered pedestrian mall and light show transform a significant segment of Downtown. PAGE
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Another boom year that sees the opening of three casinos: The Venetian, Paris Las Vegas and Mandalay Bay. First Friday First Friday starts in 2002, bringing broader public awareness to arts, culture and design in the valley.
2005 AIA Las Vegas sets a record for hosting the largest
Terminal 3, designed by PGAL LLC, opens at McCarran International Airport. Its sleek but functional design earns accolades.
2007 AIA Las Vegas publishes “Blueprint for Nevada,” a guide for sustainability adopted by City of Las Vegas and City of Henderson as a part of their future planning.
2010 With an emphasis on design and art, The Cosmopolitan opens in the midst of the recession. Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health Opened in 2010, the center was designed by architect Frank Gehry. It draws added attention to the revival of Downtown.
Jack Miller
Prominent local architect Jack Miller (founder of what would later be JMA Architecture Studios) dies at age 84 on March 24, 1999. He designed buildings such as Basic High School, housing at Nellis and Downtown’s Centel building.
New York-New York, CityCenter: MGM Resorts International; Miller: AIA Las Vegas
New York-New York
2012
CityCenter
The Cosmopolitan
The Smith Center: courtesy The Smith Center; SLS: courtesy SLS Las Vegas; The Cosmopolitan: courtesy The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
The Smith Center
The Smith Center Opened in 2012, the David Schwarz-designed Smith Center stands as a piece of “serious” architecture geared for locals. Mob Museum The former courthouse and post office reopens Feb. 14,
SLS
2012, as a museum exploring Vegas’ mobbed-up past and a hallmark example of adaptive reuse.
2014 Formerly the Sahara, the SLS opens on the south Strip in August, aiming to cash in on classic Vegas allure.
2016 AIA Las Vegas celebrates 60 years as a Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, promoting the architecture and design of Las Vegas, raising awareness of quality architecture, and promoting progressive growth in our communities.
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2015 Design awards
2015
Design
Awards
Presented each year by the Nevada Chapter of the AIA, the AIA Excellence in Design Awards honor and celebrate the state’s best architectural projects. The criteria include not only the quality of the design, but also the project’s sustainability and community impact. The awards aim to elevate the quality of architectural practice by establishing a standard of excellence, and to promote a greater public awareness of the architectural profession and its relevance and value to the lives of everyone. The jurors for the 2015 awards were: James Trahan, AIA: Principal, 180 Degrees, Phoenix, Ariz. Sarah Semple Brown, AIA: Principal, Semple Brown Design, Denver, Colo. Doug Jackson: Professor of Architecture, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
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C ITATION AWARD BUILT CATEGOR Y PRE SE N TE D TO H aw kin s & Associates For Ban croft R etreat
This cozy home never lets you forget that beauty is all around you. Sited 6,600 feet up in the gorgeous northern Sierra Nevada mountains, Jack Hawkins’ spare, window-filled design makes the most of the view — and a large slider lets the family mingle indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. It works with the landscape, too. Stepping down the hill in a graceful sequence of lines and planes rather than a blunt mass, it “successfully integrates a rustic quality with a Mid-century Modern sensibility,” the juror notes. Plenty of family spaces nestle within the open, exposed-structure interior — three dining areas, for example, from cozy to formal — and the overall aesthetic is spare, yet warm and inviting. Crucially, Hawkins paid extra attention to the family’s autistic triplets, designing the children’s area for special tutoring and play, both inside and out.
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2015 Design awards
C I TAT I ON AWA RD BUILT CATEGORY P R E S E NT E D TO Youngblood Architecture Ltd. For Kaplan Residence
If you’re designing a house that’ll sit face-to-face with a dramatic escarpment of Red Rock Canyon, you know one thing for sure: Order a lot of windows. And so it is that the western face of the 5,460-square-foot Kaplan residence offers a lot of glass.You also know the house’s eastern side will be blasted by the sun. Thus the distinctive louvered windows on that relatively blank face. But mostly you know you’d better roll with the site’s grandeur rather than try to one-up it with an overly aggressive design. Thus, your entry through the modest east side settles you for the sudden reveal of the landscape when you step into the central atrium. Within, the unfussy living spaces are arranged linearly to maximize the arid beauty from every room. That certainly caught the juror’s eye: “This project is commendable in its formal and material restraint, offering a clearly organized and minimal structure that defers to the majestic landscape to the west.”
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ME RIT AWARD Built Category PRESENTED TO J.P. Copoulos Architect / Nichols booth Architects FOR Bently Farmer’s Bank
Old and new not only coexist but work together well in this renovated Farmer’s Bank building in Minden, Nevada. Architect J.P. Copoulos was able to give his client a thoroughly modern office space without manhandling the old structure. “We felt that its original early 20th-century grandeur was too beautiful to lose completely,” he says. His team adapted some of the bank’s existing features in novel ways — a bank vault became a meeting room, for example — while opening up a large social space downstairs and a second-floor patio that was an instant hit with employees. This century is represented by the solar array on the roof and the 300-foot tubes sunk into the ground that regulate the temperature without an HVAC system. (The building earned LEED Platinum status, rare in a renovation.) The client isn’t the only one impressed: This “admirable renovation,” says the juror, “maintains the stateliness of the existing structure while introducing new spatial and atmospheric qualities that make the building lighter, more open and more sustainable.”
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2015 Design awards
“Balances a dramatic monumentality with an approachable humanism.” That’s the juror’s admiring assessment of J. Windom Kimsey’s design for Chico, California’s North Butte County Courthouse. It also sounds like the right mix of qualities for a building that houses a community’s justice system. The monumentality begins at the top, with the elegant roofline, punctuated by the raised lobby atrium (its shape inspired by nearby buttes), and continues with the raised plinth, grand entry staircase and monumental columns. And the humanism? It’s embodied in the locally sourced materials, sustainability features and soothing natural light: “Its framed window seating, extensive use of natural daylight, use of warm wood paneling and thoughtful interior detailing give the building a human scale.” Can you imagine a better riposte to the stereotypical dreariness of TV-depicted courtrooms than these calming, sun-filled judicial chambers?
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HON OR AWARD BUILT CATEGOR Y PRESENTED TO J. Windom Kimsey, Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects For North Butte County Courthouse
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2015 Design awards
HO NO R AWA R D UNBUILT CATEGORY P RE S E NT E D TO Gensler of Nevada For Cashman Battery
C I TAT I O N AWA RD UNBUILT CATEGORY P RE S E NT E D TO Pugsley Simpson Coulter Architects For Bamiyan Valley Cultural Center
Building a cultural center in an area that’s both history-rich and war-torn requires the nimblest of touches. Which is precisely what designers Sean Coulter and Anthony Yue bring to this proposal for a multiuse facility in Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Province. Recognizable to Western ears as the place where the Taliban notoriously destroyed a pair of giant sandstone Buddha sculptures, Bamiyan is now a World Heritage Site. Coulter’s spread-out design — from a descending entryway to an underground tunnel to a main structure and several out-buildings — maximizes the visitor’s engagement with those historical elements through an emphasis on progression. The facility’s main gallery is cut into a hillside, reminiscent of the niches left by the destroyed Buddhas. Natural light abounds. And there are several gabion walls filled with sandstone, which will erode over time, revealing the granite beneath, thus continuing the site’s sense of evolution. Such touches dial back the sense of capital-A architecture to let the site’s attributes take center stage, a point the juror praised: “The project suggests formal, material and temporal means by which the architecture can facilitate a greater consciousness of the landscape.” Mission truly accomplished. PAGE
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This epic reimagining of Cashman Center thinks big on so many fronts it’s hard to know where to begin. Revolving around a central ring-like structure, Cashman Battery proposes a massive campus — almost 4 million square feet worth — of super-efficient, net-zero buildings. The skin of The Ring, as it’s called, would light up with displays chronicling the campus’ energy usage, making public the kind of structural information usually hidden. There would be office space for technologically innovative businesses, acres of new retail, entertainment, sports and restaurant offerings (drawing brisk new patronage to an often-neglected stretch of town) and, get this, residential buildings, the better to knit the concept into the surrounding community. Says the contest juror, “This project is incredibly broad-based in its scope of consideration, and it offers well-considered propositions on all fronts”; in particular, it’s “exemplary in its demonstration of sustainable building principles at scales ranging from overall planning to material and technological innovations.” And it even manages to save the baseball field.
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2015 Design awards
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C ITATION AWARD BUILT CATEOGR Y Presented to Haw kin s & Associate s For Eureka Gym n asiu m
A rugged hillside in the mining town of Eureka, Nevada may not be the first place you’d look for award-winning architecture. Or the second place, or the 50th. But then Jack Hawkins designed a gymnasium for the local high school, and changed that equation. The site, described as “derelict, almost unbuildable,” turned out to be ideal for a design modeled after a stamp mill, with part of the building dug into the hillside. Energy efficiency is paramount in this project. A perimeter running track around the top lets in almost all of the necessary light during the day, and burying part of the building in the hillside creates a thermal buffer. The use of Douglas fir inside nods to the environment. All of this, by the way, on the budget afforded by a rural school district. “This project stretches the limits of architectural design with a minimal budget,” the juror writes. “The selection of minimal materials creates a durable, easily maintainable facility for the school district.”
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2015 Design awards
CI TAT I O N AWA RD U NB U I LT CAT EGO RY P resented to A SSEMB LAGE ST U DI O For FA R BER H OUSE
“This project is commendable in the way that it dramatizes the occupants’ relationship to the surrounding landscape,” the juror says of Eric Strain’s clean, modern design for a home in Norwalk, Connecticut, “which it does by multiplying the number of distinct relationships one can have with it.” On top of making the most of the views (wetlands in one direction, Long Island Sound in the other), the Farber house will have a dramatic second-story, green-lined open space that maintains an intimacy with nature; and, to quote the juror, “the dramatic cantilever of the third level extends the occupants’ experiences out toward the distant horizon.” The linear structure and Big Ass Fans (yes, a real brand of fan) would pull ventilation through the structure. The interior, both public (the living room) and private (the bath) will be alive with a muted drama that would pleasantly articulate daily life in the home.
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aia news + notes
2015 AIA Nevada Distinguished Service Awards Allied Member Award
The AIA Nevada Allied Member Award is presented to the Allied Member who has contributed significantly to the profession of architecture through their membership and participation in their local Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Gary Indiano is an Allied Member with the AIA Northern Nevada Chapter and a representative of Baselite. His support, participation and contributions to the profession and his community are impressive. He is a great supporter of philanthropic efforts that benefit the less fortunate and his commitment to technical education is so important to the profession. Gary has a “doing what it takes� attitude, ensuring that Nevada architects are successful in both work and volunteer endeavors. Anna Peltier is a devoted and talented landscape architect who is a wonderful advocate of the AIA, encouraging membership and engagement. Anna is always willing to volunteer for efforts that raise awareness of architecture and design in the community. She has demonstrated leadership in sustainability and through the Green Our Planet program that encourages young minds to understand the relationship between space and food. Associate Member Award
The AIA Nevada Associate Member Award is presented to the Associate member who has contributed significantly to the profession of architecture through their membership and participation in their local Chapter of the AIA. Esther Garcia, Assoc. AIA is strong on community service. She has worked very hard to find a successful path in the profession. Esther gives her mind and heart to better her community and advance the
bunnyfish studio
beautiful profession of which she is so happy to be a part. The jury was impressed with the breadth of community organizations she has impacted. She is also a Jason Pettigrew Scholarship winner. Nate Hudson, Assoc. AIA promotes the AIA to associate members, encouraging membership and participation. Nate is a skilled teacher and was one of the youngest instructors in the New School of Architecture recognized for its innovative approach to architecture. Nate has a passion for expanding architectural education opportunities to youth. His Perioscope project was included in the 2012 Venice Biennale – a very impressive accomplishment. Young Architect Award
The AIA Nevada Young Architect Award is given to the architect who in the first 10 Garcia
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years of licensure has shown exceptional leadership in design, education and service to the profession. Lance Kirk, AIA is a very impressive young architect whose quality of work is outstanding and who has contributed significantly to the AIA. He supports young
of leadership, professionalism and technical expertise the Young Architect Award represents. She passed the licensing exams in one year and the quality of her work is outstanding. Jenifer is heavily involved in the community through service to the AIA, programs for emerging professionals and high school mentoring. Jeni has made an impact, remarkable considering she’s only beginning her career in architecture. Leadership Award
roberts
hudson
panars
architects to become leaders in their firms and community. He is a “citizen architect” himself and founded AIA Las Vegas Committee on the Environment, and co-founded the Nevada chapter of the USGBC. He has an extraordinary list of achievements, including being a “green leader.” He has a contagious passion for architecture. Jenifer Panars, AIA is a driven architect who embodies all the characteristics
The Leadership Award was established to recognize those persons both inside or outside the architecture profession who are leaders and whose actions have helped to elevate and improve their communities. It is awarded to the individual who has shown an exceptional dedication and commitment to the betterment of their community or who has championed a cause, issue or idea that has helped to create a better community. Mercedes De La Garza, AIA has an exceptional commitment to her specialty of historic preservation and vernacular architecture. She is a recognized leader, demonstrating how architects make a difference in their communities; not just through architecture, but through service, passion and education. Mercedes has brought to the public’s awareness the importance of historic structures. Glenn Nowak, AIA has expanded the focus of architectural education at the UNLV School of Architecture, identifying opportunities to align students’ academic pursuits with paths toward licensure and AIA membership. Glenn pushes for greater integration of professionals and students. He also reaches out to high schools to promote the option of an architectural education. Our academic institutions need more people like Glenn to preserve the future of our profession. Architecture Firm of the Year
The AIA Nevada Architecture Firm of the Year Award is the highest honor that the Ne-
vada Chapter of the American Institute of Architects can bestow on an architecture firm. It is awarded to recognize a firm that has consistently produced distinguished architecture and has shown a commitment to the AIA and the profession of architecture, and has been of service to the community it calls home. Bunnyfish StudiO is a young firm with an impressive portfolio of work and an enthusiastic passion for architecture. Their focus has been on adaptive reuse projects and they have designed many projects for Tony Hsieh and Zappos in reshaping Downtown Las Vegas. They have a strong commitment to emerging professionals, the community and academia and have already been widely recognized through design awards and publications. One of the judges put it best: “The public sees their work and smiles.” AIA Nevada Silver Medal
For members of AIA Nevada, there is no greater honor than to be awarded the AIA Nevada Silver Medal. It recognizes a lifetime of distinguished service to the profession. But sometimes the contributions are so great that recognition is due even when the recipient is young and is still in the process of contributing a lifetime of achievements. So is the case this year. Eric M. Roberts, AIA has an impressive commitment to the profession and to his family. He is a champion for architecture and architects. His political voice is a great value to architects in raising the visibility of the value of architects and architecture. Eric’s accumulation of awards and accolades over the course of his career is very impressive and indicative of why he is awarded the AIA Nevada 2015 Silver Medal. One other impressive accomplishment for Eric this year is that he is also the recipient of the AIA Nevada Service Award, making him the first architect ever to be awarded both awards in the same year. The AIA Nevada Service Award is presented to the individual AIA member who has contributed significantly to the profession of architecture through service to the Institute.
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aia news + notes
Looking back — and ahead T h roug h ou t 2 0 1 6 , A I A L a s Vegas will be celebrating our 60th Anniversary as a chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Our organization was established on January 6, 1956, and for the past 60 years, our members have been dedicated to upholding the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, elevating the profession, raising the quality of architecture and design and safeguarding the health, safety and welfare of the public. Through their vision, their ideas, their imagination and their dedication, AIA member architects have transformed our once-small desert town of 26,000 residents in 1956 into an international tourist destination and a world-class city of more than 2.3 million residents and over 60 million visitors each year. The history of this transformation is fascinating and is due in large part to the dynamic growth and development of the hotels, casinos and entertainment venues that make up the Las Vegas Strip. The City of Las Vegas and Clark County grew and flourished as a direct result of the development of the Las Vegas Strip. As resorts were added and expanded, jobs were created and the population of the valley exploded.The need for housing, schools, amenities and services followed in step, and the architects went to work creating our wonderful communities. In commemorating our 60th Anniversary, AIA Las Vegas will celebrate the architectural chronology of the growth and transformations of the Strip, and the role that AIA architects have played in designing this one-of-a-kind community. We invite you to join us by attending the meetings, lectures and events that we have planned. You must RSVP online for each event at aialasvegas.org.
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n t h rough april
n July 20
Art, Architecture
Creating a World-Class
and Design Month
City - 1986-2001
Mayor Carolyn Goodman has proclaimed April to be Art, Architecture and Design Month in Las Vegas. This celebration is highlighted by lectures, meetings, exhibits and events that are designed to engage the community and generate a greater understanding and appreciation of the importance of quality design on all levels in our city. A kick-off celebration reception for the month is being hosted by the Las Vegas Design Center and AIA Las Vegas on March 31, 5:30p at the World Market Center. Visit the aialasvegas.org website for a listing of all the events and activities and to RSVP.
The building of The Mirage defined the modern gaming resort and launched our city into the international arena. The population was growing and tourism was bringing record numbers of visitors to our city. The highlights of this era will be discussed by our panel of architects and design professionals who were changing Las Vegas through their designs. 5:30p, location TBA
n M ay 25 “The Sign” 1971-1986
The neon sign has long been recognized as the beacon that signals excitement, entertainment and fun. It is the accepted icon of Las Vegas. In May, YESCO Sign Company will host a special reception and tour of their facilities and will present the history of YESCO and the importance of “The Sign” to the Las Vegas Strip. 5:30p. RSVPs required. n J u ne 6 43rd Annual AIA LV golf tournament
Get your team together and join us on the private course at TPC Country Club. Register your team (or single player) online at aialasvegas.org. $300 per player/$1,200 per team. Shotgun start 8a.
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n Sept emb er 21 The Legal Side of Design
This mock trial in a courtroom setting will provide a real-life experience and lessons in how to manage your day in court when it comes to the legal aspects of the architecture and design business. Presented by the law firm of Weil and Drage. 5:30p, location TBA n Octob er 19 “Learn About / Turn About” Product Show
This annual one-day product show is open to the public and all are invited. It begins with Continuing Education Classes on a variety of subjects offered from 8a-3p. Product Show opens at 4p. Forty-one exhibitors showcase the latest technology, products and services, with complimentary snacks and beverages, $3,000 in cash prizes and a variety of door prizes will be given away. Exhibitors can also take advantage of the opportunity to meet face-to-face with firm principals and key decision-makers during a special lunch networking meeting, a great chance to introduce your company or service.
n O c tob e r 2 6 “The Fastest Growing City in the Country” - 2001-2016
Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International, will be the special guest speaker for an exciting look at the Strip from 20012016. During this period, Las Vegas had 6,000 new residents each month and tourism brought more than 60 million visitors each year. AIA hosted the National Convention, architects were designing and building six to seven new schools per year, the Blueprint for Nevada was published and CityCenter, the largest construction project in the world, was completed. Murren will discuss the lasting impact of this unprecedented period of growth. 5:30p, Aria resort. n Nov em b er 1 6 “Visions for the Future”
This program will provide a fresh perspective on the AIA and the Strip, with a look at where we are and where we are going. What does the future hold for Las Vegas and for the architects and design professionals who practice here? How can they leverage the unique characteristics of Las Vegas to better prepare for that future, and what are the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead? 5:30p, location TBA n D ec em b er 1 4
Coming up in the October issue of Architecture Las Vegas: n
of architecture in the valley
n
creating more livable communities
n
delicious design: creating great eating places
n
Considering the future of the Strip
“AIA Las Vegas Holiday Celebration & Awards Gala”
This end-of-the-year gala will be the final celebration of our 60th Anniversary year, featuring a review of the important highlights of our history and the recognition of the award recipients for the AIA Nevada Excellence In Design and Distinguished Service Awards, which celebrate the best of the architectural profession from all across the state. 5:30p, location TBA
A look ahead at the future
n
Continuing the celebration
of design in Southern Nevada
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pe r s pe c t i v e
greatness by design
Great cities have certain things in common — things like an active citizenry, an engaged architectural community and a signature skyline. Well, we’ve got one out of three. Don’t get me wrong. I love Las Vegas, but for Las Vegas to become a truly great city — a city that has a connected and strong sense of place for all of us who call it home — architects must get more deeply involved in the city-making process. To be sure, we do a great job of making buildings. But what about making a city? By city-making, I mean creating a great place that has three crucial components: context, cultural integration and ease of use. Context means you know where you are. Cultural integration means you identify with the place and attach meaning to it. And ease of use is exactly what it sounds like: It’s inclusive and has no barriers to access. What makes architects suited for this tall order of city-making? Well, architects understand better than most people both the social and physical aspects that make up a great city. We see the big picture as more than just a sum of its parts. We’re students of great cities and understand the traits that make those cities great — traits such as walkability, open space, a sense of excitement, public places, and beautiful skylines. So why aren’t architects involved in the city-making process in Las Vegas? A number of reasons. One, we’re too busy.There’s nothing wrong with being busy in itself — particularly as we’ve been busy struggling with the demands of the recent recession and we’ve needed to use all of our energy to survive. But as the economy recovers, we need to shed the survival mindset and transition to a thrive mindset. We need to get involved in community organizations that are focused on building a better community. We need to sit on local town boards, our homeowner’s associations, planning commissions, and run for offices. We can make a difference. Politics also puts a damper on our involvement. The solution: Again, getting involved. Our city needs architects and planners on our planning commissions, city council and county commission. We need to make city-making important, and demonstrate that
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making good decisions for our city pays off in the long run — even if those decisions seem risky today. Our city needs architects to fight the public works bureaucracies and take a stand for people instead of cars. Our city needs to focus on good planning solutions now — with our help and guidance. We can look as close as Seattle for inspiration. It’s a great architectural city, and has three architects and several planners on its planning commission. Or take Denver, which has three architects and three urban planners on its planning board. There’s little wonder that both places are considered progressive cities with a strong focus on quality of life and thoughtful design. When I consider both recent local history and current events, I can confidently say getting involved pays dividends. For instance, I sat on the City of Las Vegas Planning Commission from 1997 to 2003, and I felt I made a difference. I was chairman when we approved the Fremont East District and formed a Downtown design review committee. I was also chairman during the creation of the Centennial Hills Master Plan, where I worked to keep quality of life a priority in one of the area’s fastest-growing suburbs. If you have no taste for politics, there are other ways of getting involved. Eric Strain from Assemblage Studio is a vocal community design advocate and, given the opportunity, weighs in honestly and intelligently on design issues.Windom Kimsey of Tate Snyder Kimsey is doing some great things in Henderson, and has put his money where his mouth is by developing TSK’s new office on Water Street, providing a catalyst for other downtown Henderson redevelopment. Actions such as these elevate the profile of architects not just as designers of buildings, but as ambassadors of design who bring issues such as livability, beauty and function into the ongoing conversation about what our city should be. When I look at the work that local architects produce, I’m impressed by the quality.The work demonstrates that architects care deeply about their work and its impact on the community. So let’s take some of that energy and apply it beyond our particular projects. Let’s step out of our offices and take on a bigger and more vital project: designing the community we all live in. — craig galati, AIA Craig Galati is principal of LGA.
Illustration: Scott Lien
Architects help make cities. But how can we help make this particular city great?
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