MGM Mirage’s CityCenter was conceived of as a city within a city. It was to be a place of urban sophistication - a tasteful evolution from the themed casinos that have come to dominate the Las Vegas strip. MGM Mirage sought to replace theme with high-design in their ten billion dollar development, and to this end, hired a collection architects and designers whose work spoke through abstraction rather than direct reference. Franklin Studios was asked to design a new type of venue - a bar/lounge which incorporates gaming. Guests can simultaneously enjoy the service and atmosphere of an intimate club while enjoying high-stakes gaming. The design was inspired by the surrounding desert with its sweeping geometries and rich textures. For instance, the main walls of the lounge are formed as a lattice of wood, modeled after the cactus skeletons that lie on the desert floor.
The function of these open wood walls is to create a sense of enclosure while allowing the energy of the casino and the lounge to pass through and create a visceral connection. The ceiling is also a light, skeletal form defined by a loose grid of wood members which define a sprawling topography akin to the bare mountains surrounding Las Vegas. The bar front and custom carpet pattern reflect the scalloped forms of wind-blown sand. All of these organic references are formalized and contained within a framework modernism. The overall form of the lounge is a segmented box. The corners of the box are bent forward and reach out into the surrounding casino floor. The large windows in these corners slide back during the day to create a direct connection with the casino floor, while at night the doors are closed and the lounge becomes an exclusive nightclub.
