Design Update CREATING CITYCENTER MGM MIRAGE’s urbane and sustainable “city within a city” redefines Las Vegas CityCenter is for people who want the Las Vegas they’ve never seen before. Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO, MGM MIRAGE This is the future of Las Vegas—CityCenter is in an entirely different category. Bobby Baldwin, President and CEO, CityCenter CityCenter is the best example anywhere of a REINVENTING collaborative design process. Art Gensler, Founder and Chairman, Gensler LAS VEGAS Once a generation, Las Vegas reinvents itself. In the Rat Pack era, it embraced midcentury modernism. Then, The Mirage and Bellagio remade The Strip as an entertainment resort 12/16/09 destination. Early in this new century, MGM MIRAGE CityCenter Grand Opening envisioned a “city within a city”—a new symbol of Las Vegas that, in the words of CityCenter’s Bobby Baldwin, combines “the vitality of Las Vegas with the experiences tourists seek in great cities around the world.” In 2005, master plan in hand, MGM MIRAGE asked Gensler to join it and make CityCenter a reality. How our team helped reinvent Las Vegas is a case study in design leadership. Contents The vision 2Making it happen 14 The challenge 4Greening CityCenter 18 Design leadership 6The vision realized 22 Catalyst for ideas 8Project and team information 24 Branding the destination 10 Gensler Design Update CityCenter 1 CityCenter aims to transform Las Vegas as a new symbol at its core. Bobby Baldwin, President and CEO, CityCenter A CITY WITHIN A CITY THE VISION It took strong design leadership to bring the initial Bobby Baldwin on CityCenter: “This is one of the few CityCenter gives The Strip an urban core—a new plan and building program to a fully realized vision places in the world where we had a completely clean city-scale development that supports a rich, full, 24/7 of an urbane and dynamic place, the heart of a new canvas—and the resources for the best of everything life. Calibrated to a Manhattan density, CityCenter world city of entertainment. possible. There is no such development anywhere in encourages people to cover longer distances using the the country. There’s going to be Las Vegas and there’s three-station PeopleMover and then explore each going to be CityCenter—it’s in an entirely different neighborhood on foot. Of the major projects on The category: the largest, the highest density, and by far the Strip, only CityCenter connects directly to adjacent longest list of amenities. We offer the best entertain- resorts—Monte Carlo and Bellagio—to create a walk- ment and the best accommodations, with unparalleled able, accessible urban district. CityCenter is a whole access to Las Vegas. It’s only eight minutes from the greater than any of its distinctive parts, a world-class airport. Unlike other would-be world destinations, destination for leisure and entertainment. CityCenter combines leading-edge design with an over- all vision, well-conceived and executed. It will stand the test of time.” original dynamic visionary urban diverse exciting smart artful Gensler Design Update CityCenter 2 3 We had a new vision for Las Vegas. I-15 I-15 Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO, MGM MIRAGE Frank Sinatra Drive Industrial Road Mandalay THE Luxor Excalibur Bellagio Caesars Bay hotel NY– Monte Palace The NY Carlo Mirage Treasure Fashion Las Vegas Boulevard CityCenter Island Show Tropicana Residential Planet Paris Bally’s Mall Hollywood Sales Pavilion Flamingo As a Harvard Business School case study notes, CityCenter reflects Jim Murren’s global strategy of Spring Mountain Road MGM Grand Venetian Circus reinventing MGM MIRAGE as a real estate–focused Circus Palazzo East Desert Inn Road A CITY WITHIN company leveraging its development expertise in Wynn concert with partner companies, and expanding its Encore Koval Lane Sahara Avenue A CITY brands in Las Vegas and around the world. Twain Avenue Twain McCarran International Airport Flamingo Road Harmon Avenue THE CHALLENGE Avenue Tropicana MGM MIRAGE is no stranger to large-scale develop- Maryland Parkway ment. The company previously led the design and delivery of The Mirage and Bellagio, two projects that redefined The Strip and made the city’s reputation as an entertainment resort destination. CityCenter is exponentially bigger. The world’s largest LEED-registered development, planned from the outset for a December 2009 opening, CityCenter posed unprecedented chal- lenges for its design leaders, MGM MIRAGE and Gensler. 67 acres 18 mil sq ft CityCenter is essentially an urban district, 67 acres CityCenter is a remarkable mix of uses, 18 million (27.1 hectares) or about 12 Manhattan blocks in area. square feet—1.67 million square meters—of high-end This made compact, high-density development possible. residential, hospitality, entertainment, shopping, and Connecting CityCenter by transit with the adjoining recreational buildings and settings. These uses are Bellagio and Monte Carlo properties, also owned by connected not only by a PeopleMover system, but also MGM MIRAGE, creates an even larger setting that by underground circulation and infrastructure, residents, guests, and visitors can experience on foot, minimizing the impact of parking and servicing to without ever having to use cars or cabs to get to ensure a walkable experience. Integrating these their destinations. This is part of what makes CityCenter individually stunning buildings as a rich, compelling a true “city within a city.” whole was one of the main design challenges. I-15 5 years LEED gold Frank Sinatra Drive In late 2004, MGM MIRAGE committed to opening CityCenter is the single largest development in the world CityCenter in December 2009—from concept to comple- to pursue LEED—six LEED Gold projects in one. tion in just five years. Accomplishing this meant leading MGM MIRAGE is committed to sustainability, so design Hotel & Spa multiple teams of architects, designers, engineers, leadership meant defining the green opportunities specialists, and—with the construction leaders—an army and then creating the framework to ensure that every PeopleMover of contractors and subcontractors. The leadership project and every participant worked to accomplish had to be seamless—MGM MIRAGE and Gensler were them. The Gensler-led sustainability effort addressed Resort & Casino joined at the hip, with the expertise and resources to the entire development, from site clearance and guide a development of unprecedented scope and scale methods of construction to design and materials, and New York–New York Monte Carlo Bellagio to an on-time finish. the operation of the buildings and settings. CityCenter Residential Hotel & Residences Sales Pavilion Residences Retail Hotel Tropicana Avenue Tropicana Carlo de Monte Rue CityCenter Place Harmon Avenue Las Vegas Boulevard Gensler Design Update CityCenter 4 5 CityCenter is about world-class architecture forming a Construction Design Leadership Team General Management Contractor complementary whole. Tishman Perini Building Bill Smith, President, MGM MIRAGE Design Group Construction Company and Block A Block B Block C Common areas 10,350,000 sf 1,615,000 sf 5,220,000 sf ARIA Resort & Vdara Hotel & Spa Mandarin The Harmon Veer Towers Crystals Planning/ DESIGN Casino and Bellagio Employee Garage Oriental, Hotel Retail and Infrastructure/ Las Vegas Entertainment Common Areas 61 stories, 4,004 57 stories, 1,495 suites, restau- 57 stories, 392 26 stories, 2 towers, 669 500,000 sf total Streetscape, LEADERSHIP guestrooms, rants, bar/lounges, health/beauty guestrooms, 400 guestrooms residences, retail center, landscape, In 2004, MGM MIRAGE Design Group was given the of tracking tools and databases, and LEED guidance CityCenter design leadership casino, restau- spa, pool, conference space, 227 residences, and suites, adjoining with exclusive wayfinding, assignment of assembling the team of leading architects, and research. Gensler set to work on the most pressing MGM MIRAGE and Gensler formed the CityCenter rants, bar/ landscaped park, connection to restaurants, restaurant, bar/ Crystals; towers flagship stores people mover, interior designers, and specialty consultants that priorities: get the full CityCenter design and implemen- design leadership team to oversee the architects, lounges, Cirque Bellagio Hotel bar, tea lounge, lounge, salon, have rooftop and restaurants branding, would create CityCenter. After traveling around the tation team in place; establish an upfront sustainability designers, engineers, and specialists responsible for du Soleil theater bakery café fitness center pools sales pavilion world, conducting hundreds of interviews, MGM strategy; infuse the initial master plan for CityCenter the different blocks and their projects. The block MIRAGE Design Group realized it would need to with a design vision, brand strategy, and pragmatic rigor; structure simplified the task of managing this massive, partner with a global design firm that could seamlessly and put methods and systems in place to help simplify 18-million-square-foot development. Design Design Architect Design Design Design Design Design reinforce and complement its in-house capabilities to this complex project and expedite its completion. Architect Architect Architect Architect Architect Architect orchestrate a project of unprecedented size and complexity, to meet a challenging, fast-track schedule. Delivering CityCenter in just five years required a full- At 5:00 p.m. on January 3, 2005, MGM MIRAGE asked throttle, fast-track process. To give CityCenter a more Gensler to join the CityCenter