Archinect - News

RIOS has been selected for a $1 billion redesign of The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas

2022-11-10T17:32:00-05:00

"We are looking to elevate our experiences resort wide [...] Arrival experiences will be different. For both The Venetian and The Palazzo, we plan to renovate, remodel, and redesign all of our suites. We will be offering a number of new [food-and-beverage] concepts, we are taking a deep look at entertainment, nightlife, and bar offerings, and the casino floor will feel significantly different as well.”

In an Instagram post, RIOS said the redesign will “retain the resort's Italian roots reimagined in a refined and evolutionary way.⁠” The hotel and casino was first designed by KlingStubbins on the site of the former Sands property for developer Sheldon Adelson in the late 1990s. The landmark Venetian replicas within the resort will likely be kept intact, though a spokesperson for the company that manages the property said the $1 billion-plus project will refresh its overall design along more contemporary lines.

"We are a themed hotel and we will always be a themed hotel," Venetian CEO Patrik Nichols told T+L. "That sets us apart, but the Italy of the '90s that The Venetian was modeled after has evolved. If we are able to lean into that through the spirit of Italy and discovery, we are not going to look like just another hotel that has refreshed their rooms."

New resort and casino project approved for the Las Vegas Strip

2022-10-24T11:48:00-04:00

Officials in Clark County, Nevada, have voted to approve a new 43-story resort and casino project to be located on the Las Vegas Strip following a successful bid from Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta.

According to Construction Dive, the scheme will include a 2,420-room hotel, 2,536-seat theater, chapel, retail, offices, and convention spaces on top of a multiple-level parking structure and be located nearby the larger Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino at 3725-3735 Las Vegas Boulevard South.

The plan will be developed over the next two years beginning tentatively in March and joins the city’s list of other major forthcoming post-pandemic projects, which to date includes DLR’s Group’s 21-story Dream Hotel, the soon-to-be-completed MSG Sphere by Populous, and the expanding Vegas Loop from Elon Musk’s The Boring Company.

An architect for the project has yet to be named. In a s...

Zaha Hadid Architects tops out on 'Hollywood-inspired' resort complex in Macau

2021-11-23T12:03:00-05:00

Zaha Hadid Architects has shared an update about its latest venture in the Chinese entertainment capital of Macau. The multibillion-dollar project has topped out on Phase 2 of its Hollywood-themed twin-tower resort called Studio City. The resort was built to expand developer Melco Resorts & Entertainment’s operation in the city’s burgeoning Cotai Strip.

Renderings courtesy mir/Zaha Hadid Architects

The facades of each building are defined by three layers of gradated glass with external shade fins that ensure an energy-efficient envelope. Featuring more than 250,000 square meters (2.7 million square feet) of total floor area, the 900-room development is home to a six-screen movie theater, retail and gaming areas, and one of Asia’s largest water outdoor parks. The studio has previously worked with Melco to complete a nearby luxury hotel complex called Morpheus in 2018.

Renderings courtesy mir/Zaha Hadid Architects

“Studio City Phase 2 reaffirms our ongoing commitment to the city and c...

Architect Alan Lapidus, son of Morris Lapidus, passes away at 85

2021-10-25T19:42:00-04:00

On October 15, architect Alan Lapidus passed away in his home in Naples, Maine after battling prostate cancer. His legacy is often connected with his architect father, Morris Lapidus, and being "Donald Trump's architect." However, after working with his father for many years, he used those lessons and experiences he gained to establish a long architecture career designing hotels and casinos.

In a New York Times obituary written by Sam Roberts, he notes that even when Lapidus etched a name for himself while working at his father's firm, "Mr. Lapidus did not try to outdo his father, whose motto was 'Too much is never enough.' But he followed his advice, designing palatial lodgings and capacious gambling halls to create 'participatory theater,' he wrote, in which guests could 'indulge and fulfill their fantasies.'"

Alan Lapidus in 2018 speaking on his career and time working with Fred and Donald Trump while building the now-demolished Trump Plaza and Casino in Atlantic City. Image stil...

Marlon Blackwell Architects sues over poached casino design in Pine Bluff, Arkansas

2019-12-31T14:12:00-05:00

The Arkansas-based architect is undergoing a court case regarding his work and designs for the Saracen Resort Casino in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Blackwell filed a suit against HBG Design, Saracen Development and John Berrey, chairman of the Quapaw tribe’s business committee.

A distinguished architect who recently won the AIA's highest honor for his work earlier this month claims that his designs were "stolen." According to a recent report from the Arkansas Times the lawsuit explains, "the agreement wasn’t honored and Blackwell’s copyrighted designs were “stolen” for use on the project and Blackwell wasn’t paid. The suit says further that HBG had “poisoned” the Blackwell firm’s relationship with the Quapaw tribe and Blackwell had been removed from the project."

Max Brantley, of the Arkansas Times, was able to receive a prepared statement from John Berrey, chairman of the Quapaw tribe's business committee.

"We think that Mr. Blackwell is a very talented boutique architect. But function...