Joint venture partners AEG and MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM), developers of a new world-class indoor arena in Las Vegas,
have released the first images and details of the 20,000-seat sports and entertainment venue which will be located near the heart of the famed Las Vegas Strip and adjacent to the I-15 corridor.
The images were unveiled as part of a project update by the ownership group for the new arena, which is expected to break ground in April 2014. The arena is being designed with an array of unrivaled premium offerings and club experiences as well as features that will make it immediately available to host NBA and NHL teams, concerts, boxing, mixed martial arts, family shows, award shows and other major events.
The Las Vegas Arena
The Las Vegas arena, which will be the centerpiece of the revitalization of the area between New York-New York and Monte Carlo resorts, extending from Las Vegas Blvd. to Frank Sinatra Drive, is scheduled to open in the spring of 2016. The project’s anticipated cost of approximately $350 million will be financed entirely with equity contributions from the partners and privately funded third-party debt financing. In keeping with the partners’ commitment to building responsibly, the arena is being designed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s standards for LEED Gold Certification.
Since its selection as the project’s architect of record, Populous has worked closely with the project owners and their project manager, ICON Venue Group, to design an arena that will connect the contrasting influences of Las Vegas – the desert and Spring Mountains to the west and the pulsating, high-energy Las Vegas Boulevard to the east. To capture the excitement of The Strip, the design includes an expansive glass façade with an LED overlay; sweeping, dramatic balconies; an exterior performance stage and a sleek exterior that is as bold as it is sophisticated, creating a visually captivating and iconic focal point in Las Vegas’ bustling entertainment market.
“As with arenas such as STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, London’s The O2, Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai and several others in the AEG Facilities portfolio, this new arena in Las Vegas is destined to be one of the most recognizable, respected and iconic venues in our industry,” said Dan Beckerman, President and CEO, AEG. “From the diverse collection of unique and custom-designed premium seating and hospitality options to the variety of programming that will be booked, there will be offerings to appeal to the widest audience; from casino operators and their guests to international travelers and local residents, this will be world-class in every sense.”
Brad Clark, Senior Principal at Populous and a lead designer of the arena, said “The design of the arena ensures we will create a truly striking entertainment venue for Las Vegas – representing the color, drama and excitement the city exudes. The arena will be an extension of The Strip’s high energy – our job with the design was to stay authentic to that spirit.”
The renderings highlight day and night exterior views of the arena which reaches 145’ at the highest point of the roof. A monumental glass entry façade with a giant LED overlay runs along the northeast side of the arena reaching a height of 118’ at the parapet of the entry façade.
Highlights, features and concepts of each rendering include:
An expansive glass façade with an overlay of video marks the front door and monumental interior atrium, creating a striking arrival statement. With a spectacular balcony featuring an LED soffit and exterior performance stage below, the arena becomes an extension of the visual cacophony and high energy of the Las Vegas Strip.
The exterior form responds to the climate by presenting a solid skin against the intense desert sun on the south and west sides of the arena. This skin wraps tightly to the efficient elliptical plan within and is expressed in undulating bands of metal which evoke the color and sedimentary layering of the surrounding desert mountains. The skin extends to ground level to conceal and cover the ground level VIP drop offs.
Outdoor balconies extend from the arena along Rue de Monte Carlo to become dramatic vantage points facing the energy of the world-renowned Strip – the quintessential Las Vegas “see and be seen” opportunity. A light-weight perforated aluminum screen serves as a protective shell, offering functional shade and wind protection while serving as an architectural transition from the plaza which serves as the entry path to the arena. Openings in the screen frame allow views west to the Spring Mountains.
The state-of-the-art arena will feature a variety of premium seating offerings and hospitality areas for entertaining and private events. Multiple bunker clubs, bunker suites, in-bowl sponsor zones, VIP drop-off zones with private lobbies as well as an 85’– high atrium and an array of exterior balconies will bring the ultimate Las Vegas experience inside the venue.
AEG Global Partnerships, an affiliate of AEG that collaborates with more than 100 venues and other AEG assets worldwide to create sales and marketing platforms, has started the process of selling naming rights, a limited number of category exclusive sponsorships and premium seating for the new Las Vegas showplace, expected to host more than 100 events annually.
