MGM’s arts and entertainment district redefines typical Vegas experience
by Alice Davis | 05 Apr 2016
The Park, a brand new entertainment district in Nevada, offers visitors a new way to soak up the famous Las Vegas Strip, according to developer MGM Resorts International.
The Park, which opened on 4 April and cost US$100m (€88m, £71m), is a dining and entertainment zone located in landscaped gardens beside the 20,000-seat T-Mobile arena. The pedestrianised area offers a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the busy Strip.
The site, masterplanned by Cooper, Robertson & Partners, features al fresco restaurants and bistros, a 5,000-capacity concert theatre, a variety of public art installations and large-scale sculptures and acts as the gateway to the new Populous-designed arena.
Landscape architecture and urban design firms !melk and Marnell Architecture have created an environmentally sustainable parkland with desert plants, more than 200 mature trees, water features and ground surfaces made from cooling marble. Water conservation, green building and sustainable waste management were central to The Park’s design. Items such as furniture, shade structures, waste bins and tree grates were made from recycled steel.
“Our vision for The Park was to create a new kind of experience for Las Vegas that would speak to the desires of today’s travellers,” said MGM Resorts CEO Jim Murren.
“Within this beautiful outdoor setting, guests have opportunities to explore and discover,” he said. “Whether it be to enjoy the beauty of desert landscaping, take a photo to share with friends of an important art installation, enjoy cocktails and a bite to eat on a patio before an event at T-Mobile Arena, or simply to enjoy a quiet moment outside, The Park is designed to offer something for everyone.”
Sixteen purpose-built shade structures around the 12,000sq m (129,000sq ft) destination give The Park its own identity as they double as colour-changing LED light art installations, some more than 20m (65.6ft) tall. By night, the headline sculpture, the 12m (39ft) tall Bliss Dance by artist Marco Cochrane, is lit up by 3,000 coloured LED lights.
The restaurant corridor has received a LEED Gold certification and the destination has been presented with the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s 2016 Water Hero Award.
park arena MGM Resorts Vegas Las Vegas Nevada desert T-Mobile Arena parkland landscape public space public art entertainment dining
The sculpture Bliss Dance is seen outside the new T-Mobile Arena in The Park, Las Vegas Credit: Barry Toranto
The Park, a brand new entertainment district in Nevada, offers visitors a new way to soak up the famous Las Vegas Strip, according to developer MGM Resorts International. The Park, which opened on 4 April and cost US$100m (€88m, £71m), is a dining and entertainment zone located in landscaped gardens beside the 20,000-seat T-Mobile arena. The pedestrianised area offers a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the busy Strip.
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"Culture is the beating heart of this project"
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
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