n the surface, Las Vegas is the land of capi-talism, wrought with the optimism of sex, adventure and eternal youth. Its veil of vice is alluring and decadent, providing its guests with a mirror of their own dreams and fanta-

sies. What could be more dreamlike than bringing Venice, a city of water, to the middle of the American desert? Nothing. Awaiting gondolas are docked at the water's edge. Graceful arched bridges, flowing canals, vibrant piaz-zas, and stone walkways beckon you to explore and see the sights. Across the lagoon from where you stand, the Campanile of St. Mark towers into a blue sky, dotted with white doves flying upward toward their bell tower perch. The water in front of you brilliantly reflects the beauty and elegance of the Ca'D'Oro, a gem of Venetian Gothic architecture. A short distance away, the Doge's Palace rests in all its grandeur, a testimony to historic Venice. You stroll beneath the palace's majestic colonnades and marvel at the elabo-rate, ornate columns fashioned from stone. Further away you see the Rialto Bridge, St. Mark’s Library and the Bridge of Sighs. You have arrived at Vegas' new and illustrious Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino. The lush ageless history and time-less architecture of Venice, Italy, has been reproduced with the strictest of detail, giving you the feeling that you're 6,000 miles away in the famed Italian city. Your journey through this city within a city has begun. More than a decade ago, the TSA of Nevada entity of The Stubbins Associates began working with Sheldon Adelson on his property in Las Vegas. Early on, Adelson recognized the unlimited entertainment potential of this site. The Sands Convention & Expo Center was complet-ed in 1989. In 1994, preliminary planning began on a con-cept that subsequently required demolition of the historic

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OPPOSITE: Venetian Frontal View (Doge's Palace, hotel tower)

n Above The Grand Canal Shoppes (500,000- square foot retail shopping center) Right Venetian Frontal View (Doge's Palace, hotel tower).

The Merging of the Past, Present and Future

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Sands Hotel and Casino, replacing it with a new, state-of-the-art facil-ity. And in late 1995, the architects of The Stubbins Associates formed a collaboration with WAT&G Architects and Planners to design the new Venetian Casino Resort. From a design standpoint, the col-laboration of these architects has met the challenging role of bring-ing the vision into reality. After an early conceptual phase with the exploration of as many as fifty thematic ideas, it was decided by everyone involved to re-create the beautiful city of Venice. "It was

the image of quality, which Venice represents, that excited the imagi-nation of our client team," says W. Easley Hamner, principal with The Stubbins Associates, Inc. The true land of Venice is a place of rich texture and unrestrained social intercourse. And this essence is aptly recaptured by the Venetian. As you step inside the opulent foyer, with its fountains and marble mosaic tile, you are captivated by the splendor of the palatial interior. The Venetian's hospitality allows you to fully enjoy all the romance of this fabled city in an atmosphere

where every element reflects a way of living that is also an art. Upon entering your suite, you can see and feel the attention to detail expressed in your surround-ings. Hand-stitched upholstery, Drexel Heritage furniture and crown molding accent the inte-rior. The marble entrance, the plush canopy-draped bedchamber, sunken living room area and a 130- square-foot bath finished in Italian marble allows you to relax and enjoy your stay. From your window view, you are captivated by the lights of Las Vegas, the city of entertainment.

n Above A 130-square-foot bath finished in Italian marble allows you to relax and enjoy your stay.Right The inside of the palace is detailed with marble floors and colorful hand-painted frescoes such as the Gallery, which provides you with an immaculate yet comfortable setting within which to enjoy your gaming experience.

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The standard guest suite at the Venetian is 700 square feet (of which 115 square feet is devoted to the luxurious bathroom), with Piazza, Doge and Penthouse Suites available at up to 5,500 square feet. "Where once gambling was the only attraction, the business of con-ventions, the fantasy of entertain-ment, the taste of gourmet dining, and the experience of shopping are all new options." According to Hamner, it is the growth of the convention business that lies at the core of this new Venetian complex. "While the Venetian fits, in

many ways, into the Las Vegas mold, it is a unique product at its core. As a themed property, it follows the Las Vegas paradigm; however, the property is designed in response to the 'new' Las Vegas—the conven-tion capital of the world." Hamner believes that by being tied direct-ly into the Sands Convention & Exposition Center (also owned by Adelson), the Venetian will serve a unique niche. Las Vegas, as a whole, repre-sents one of the most challeng-ing logistical scenarios, with an average of 2.5 million visitors per

month. These conventions move the town into high gear, from the airport to every hotel on Las Vegas Boulevard. The complexity and vertical layering of both the Venetian and the Expo Center have resulted in a tremendously challenging design problem in and of itself. In addition to egress, mechanical, and structural integra-tion, the sound planning of peo-ple and service movements from casino to retail mall to convention center has also been daunting. The Venetian will rival all the rest in its ambition, vision, and need to meet

n Above/Right Hand-stitched upholstery, Drexel Heritage furniture and crown molding accent the interior of the stan-dard room parlour and bedroom.

such technical challenges. "This philosophy has informed each aspect of design—from the hotel lobby, room service opera-tions, the rooms themselves, and the expansion of the Expo Center," Hamner adds. "When complete, more than 6,000 hotel suites will be physically connected to the Sands Convention & Expo Center. Each suite is designed for conven-tion and business guests. Each will have a living/work area with four phone lines to support computer use, an in-room fax machine, and a mini-bar—an innovation for Las

Vegas." Surrounding the lush interiors designed for comfort and utility, the exteriors of this replicant resort are comparably lavish. Atop the fourth level, you'll find a five-acre pool deck modeled after a Venetian gar-den. It is there that you can relax poolside in a private cabana or expe-rience the Canyon Ranch SpaClub, the world-renowned place of revi-talization and wellness, including a state-of-the-art facility that caters to both health and beauty. On a visit to Doge's Palace, you will find a 120,000-square-

foot room dedicated to the enjoy-ment of gaming. The inside of the palace is detailed with marble floors, colorful hand-painted fres-coes and plush furnishings. This provides you with an immaculate yet comfortable setting for enjoy-ing your gaming experience. Up one level from the casino floor is Renaissance Venice, with all the festivity and splendor of its archi-tecture, music, art and history. A reproduction of Venice's Grand Canal runs through the center of the Venetian's retail expe-rience. You become captivated by

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the luster of majestic Venice as gondolas carry you past The Grand Canal Shoppes, the resort's 500,000-square-foot retail venue. Within these shoppes, a new 55,000-square-foot multi-level enter-tainment complex has been developed by a major Hollywood studio. It features food, retail, music and private screening rooms. The Venetian's "Restaurant Row" features inspired menus by some of today's most acclaimed culinary masters, including Joachim Splichal's Patina, David Overton's Grand Lux Cafe, Emeril Lagasse's Delmonico Steakhouse, and Canaletto, a new concept by Larry Mindel of Il Fornaio. And in August, world-renowned chef Wolfgand Puck will bring his award-winning Postrio Restaurant to the Venetian. Designed by Engstrom Design Group, Postrio Las Vegas will feature an informar bistro-style cafe and a formal din-ing room with a European ambiance. Other attractions include a full-scale, architectural replica of St. Mark's Library and Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, London's top visitor attraction. If there is a general rule in Las Vegas, it is to not do anything that has already been done. The Venetian is unique. At its architectural basis, the Venetian Resort starts with impressionism as its point of departure in order to create a certain measure of realism not akin to the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas' common heritage. Scale and content preside over mere likeliness. In this ironic twist, fantasy can be brought to fruition through some sort of magical realism. All of the buildings are built roughly to scale, dwarfing New York City, with its Lilliputian Statue of Liberty and Chrysler Building. According to Sheldon Adelson, "...no one could build on this scale, no one could take on the problems of meticulously reproducing more or less to scale the high points of an ancient foreign city." "By visiting the Venetian, millions of people who might never have the opportunity of seeing the real Venice can experience at least a portion of its romance and learn of many of its qualities," adds Hamner. "Projects have become increasingly exotic—with themes drawn from around the world. Based on public and media reactions, the quality of materials, the experience of the Venetian, and its verisimilitude all seem unexpected. Unlike other destina-tion resorts in the area, the marble is real, the columns and facades three dimensional, and the entire experience unique." It's hard to imagine a city more complete with the finest that life has to offer. When completed, the Venetian will be one of the most ambitiously conceived destination, entertainment and convention resorts in the world. History, dining, architecture, shop-ping, entertainment, immaculate accommodations, gaming and one-of-a-kind attractions combine with the enchantment, romance and splendor of Venice. Being known throughout the world as a city of unrivaled and time-preserved beauty, the architectural chal-lenge was to capture the essence of Venice and bring it to Las Vegas. By all standards, the design team has met the challenge.

- By John R. Connolly, Jr.

n Above The Doge's Palace rests in all its grandeur, a tes-timony to historic Venice. Right Venetian Aerial View (Campanile on right, Sands Expo on the left).

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