Located at the heart of CityCenter, Las Vegas' new 67-acre urban center, ARIA Resort & Casino is the latest work by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects. The 4,000-room ARIA is the first hotel-casino designed by the firm, known for such buildings as the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the International Finance Centre in Hong Kong, and the World Financial Center in New York. The project, opened Dec. 16, is a joint venture between MGM MIRAGE and Infinity World Development Corp. and includes buildings designed by several internationally renowned architecture firms.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091218/NE28368 )
"With ARIA, there was an interchange of ideas," said Cesar Pelli, Senior Principal of Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects. "The gathering of so many creative people energized us and made us reach for higher goals."
The tallest structure in CityCenter, ARIA Resort & Casino redefines the Las Vegas skyline and creates a strong sense of space. The 3.8 million-square-foot hotel-casino complex is comprised of two counterpoising, curvilinear towers joining to form an open center. Constructed of steel and glass, the towers transform as they reflect the changing sky and the lights of Las Vegas.
"Our buildings are a composition of shimmering glass surfaces shaded from the sun, enclosing concentrations of activities in an exciting urban place," said Fred Clarke, Senior Principal.
Consistent with CityCenter's scale and commitment to sustainable design, ARIA is the world's largest hotel to achieve a LEED Gold rating. Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects has had a long involvement with sustainable design, with such credits as one of the earliest LEED-rated office towers and the country's first LEED Gold and LEED Platinum residential towers. Sustainable design strategies for ARIA result in a 30 percent improvement in energy efficiency and an estimated savings of 31 million gallons of water each year. ARIA's primary energy-saving feature is its curtain wall, which uses a new generation of glass coatings that let daylight in while blocking the sun's heat-producing rays.
The complex includes a 150,000-square-foot casino; 45,000 square feet of retail space; 125,000 square feet of dining, bar, and lounge space; a 300,000-square-foot, three-level conference center; an 80,000-square-foot, two-level spa building; a 215,000-square-foot pool deck; and an 1,800-seat theater for Cirque du Soleil.
Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects was also involved in the selection of art for ARIA, continuing the firm's long practice of collaborating with leading artists, a history that includes projects like Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., the Minneapolis Central Library, and the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Artwork in ARIA includes works by Maya Lin, Jenny Holzer, and Tony Cragg. Lin's "Silver River", an 84-foot sculpture of the Colorado River, is the artist's first in Las Vegas. Holzer's "VEGAS" is a 250-foot LED sign spelling out the artist's signature messages. Cragg's three stainless steel sculptures are "Bolt", "Bent of Mind", and "Untitled" (tall column).
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