Client: MGM Resorts International - Project Partners: Cooper Robertson, Marnell Architecture, AIP Partners, Barker Structural - Awards: 2018 Architecture Master Prize in Public Space; 2018 Natural Stone Institute Pinnacle Award; 2017 International Design Award Honorable Mention; 2018 American Architecture Award from the Chicago Atheneaum Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies; Water Hero Award by the Nevada Water Authority Water Conservation Coalition; AL Design Award for the Best Use of Color for the Shade Structures - Photography: Hanns Joosten
Las Vegas Strip Public Realm - Las Vegas
Project Info
For the Las Vegas Strip, the most visited tourist destination in the world with over 40 million visitors annually, !melk delivered a public realm master plan that included the design for the streetscapes and the overall public space network. This effort included the re-configuration of the hotel/casino frontages with a variety of new restaurants, sidewalk cafes and retail outlets, as well as the integration of a new 20,000-seat arena, all embedded within a cohesive, continuous public realm. The project also included the first-ever public park along the Strip, becoming the most trafficked park in the world!
“The Park” undoubtedly sets a sustainability precedent for design in arid climates. Its xeriscape consists of more than 250 trees and 7,000 individual plants featured in dramatic botanic displays. Central to what is now referred to as “the Strip’s first neighborhood,” The Park is essentially a town square with many food and beverage offerings, as well as a staging area for large civic events and community meetups, creating opportunities for flexible programming and the integration of public art.
The !melk-designed award-winning shade structures and bespoke water features are integrated to help temper the Las Vegas heat. In addition, strategically placed zones of microclimate mitigate the extreme challenges of the location, all to create the most enjoyable and sustainable urban experience possible. Tranquil seating areas are tucked into large planters providing areas for respite throughout The Park.
Of great priority for !melk was an innovative water management strategy for the project. The Park utilizes “best management practice” guidelines for water use, whereby only sustainably sourced water is utilized for irrigation and the water features - bearing no burden on the larger Nevada State water network.
The cutting-edge design of The Park celebrates the context of the Mojave region and reinstates what Las Vegas once was - an oasis in the desert.
For the Las Vegas Strip, the most visited tourist destination in the world with over 40 million visitors annually, !melk delivered a public realm master plan that included the design for the streetscapes and the overall public space network. This effort included the re-configuration of the hotel/casino frontages with a variety of new restaurants, sidewalk cafes and retail outlets, as well as the integration of a new 20,000-seat arena, all embedded within a cohesive, continuous public realm. The project also included the first-ever public park along the Strip, becoming the most trafficked park in the world!
“The Park” undoubtedly sets a sustainability precedent for design in arid climates. Its xeriscape consists of more than 250 trees and 7,000 individual plants featured in dramatic botanic displays. Central to what is now referred to as “the Strip’s first neighborhood,” The Park is essentially a town square with many food and beverage offerings, as well as a staging area for large civic events and community meetups, creating opportunities for flexible programming and the integration of public art.
The !melk-designed award-winning shade structures and bespoke water features are integrated to help temper the Las Vegas heat. In addition, strategically placed zones of microclimate mitigate the extreme challenges of the location, all to create the most enjoyable and sustainable urban experience possible. Tranquil seating areas are tucked into large planters providing areas for respite throughout The Park.
Of great priority for !melk was an innovative water management strategy for the project. The Park utilizes “best management practice” guidelines for water use, whereby only sustainably sourced water is utilized for irrigation and the water features - bearing no burden on the larger Nevada State water network.
The cutting-edge design of The Park celebrates the context of the Mojave region and reinstates what Las Vegas once was - an oasis in the desert.