Las Vegas Weekly

November 7, 2009 · 10:02 AM

Photo Gallery: MGM’s CityCenter will be a wonder of the world

By Robin Leach

Aria at night in CityCenter on Nov. 6, 2009.

Photo: TVT

It is the most extraordinary architecture ever seen in Las Vegas -- and even in America. It is so different and unique, quite honestly, it’s un-Vegas! In fact, it’s so new and different, it’s unlike anything else on Earth. It will join the design attractions of the world’s best: the Pompidou Center in Paris, the Sony Center in Berlin and the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain.

Truth is that CityCenter sets an entire new hallmark of design in America and when opened next month -- in less than 25 days -- it will change forever the skyline of Sin City. It also will forever change the image of our gambling and entertainment mecca. Las Vegas from here on in will be known not only for themed hotels and the neon lights of the Strip, but also for an evolutionary destination in its own right alongside the rich tapestry of such world capitals as London, Hong Kong, Paris and Rome. Las Vegas now has itself a whole new symbol for world recognition.

Not only is it America’s largest private construction project ever undertaken, but it also includes the world’s largest retail district. It took eight of the world’s most renowned architects to transform paper dreams into reality with this rare environment and community unlike anything ever seen in the world.

CityCenter becomes a city within our city. Vegas DeLuxe spent two hours yesterday on one of the first-look, sneak-peek media tours, and it was an overwhelming experience. The scope of the nearly 70-acre project is majestic. The style is a sleek, modern, environmentally conscious winner. The sweep of the entranceways and walkways with pedestrian corridors and dynamic pocket parks filled with unique powerful sculptures is staggering.

The two-lane driveway from the Strip alone is identical in width to New York’s Park Avenue! The creativity of the water walls, the horticultural-surrounded water fountains and other unique attractions from the winners at WET Technologies is not only new and unique but also exclusive to CityCenter. You simply won’t ever see anything like it anywhere in the world.

With just three weeks to go, the 9,000-strong construction force is working three daily shifts to polish it all to perfection. The buzz generated by enthusiastic, onsite workers is genuine and infectious. They have created not only a masterpiece but also possibly a new wonder of the world.

Yesterday, the three-stop tram that runs between the Bellagio and the Monte Carlo to link up the mind-blowing 500,000 square-foot Crystals retail plaza was being tested. Cirque du Soleil’s acrobats were rehearsing for the upcoming Elvis Presley spectacular Viva Elvis in their new theater. Hundreds of tall, potted trees were being installed in the lobbies and parks. Dozens of famous artists’ sculptures that make up CityCenter’s own art collection were being fork lifted into place, including this $7 million Henry Moore “Reclining Woman With Child” masterpiece under blue plastic wraps!

Over the next 20 days, Vegas DeLuxe will bring you a series of incredible CityCenter photo stories about the hotel and condo towers, spas, restaurants and attractions, plus our Tuesday interview with MGM’s head honcho Jim Murren. I’ve already picked out my favorite highlights in the three-level Crystals, all within easy reach of Eva Longoria’s Beso restaurant and Eve nightclub and her partner star chef Todd English’s Pub and close to the meeting point staircase inspired by Rome’s historic Spanish Steps.

You will be blown away by the imaginative genius of the water engineers at WET. In addition to walls of water wrapping around the exterior and interior walls of the Aria centerpiece, they have created two other amazing and extraordinary experiences inside Crystals. One is a color-changing hurricane of twisting water and then a glacier of ever-shifting melting and reborn ice sculptures near the front Strip entrance, plus the top brand name stores on the planet.

There’s a tree-house restaurant, and the star who started the entire celebrity chef business, Wolfgang Puck, has taken one giant step for mankind with space age-looking pods for one of his two restaurants here. Every restaurant in Crystals has patio seating to take advantage of the outdoor feel of the sprawling plaza arcades of shops that is a testament to architect David Rockwell’s tremendous talents.

If you thought televangelist Robert Schuller’s Hour of Power Crystal Cathedral was spectacular, this is 100 times more jaw dropping. It is so humungous that they’d better move air traffic controllers over from McCarran for when our tourist sightseeing prop planes try to add it to the flight route going through its interior.

Enjoy this first photo gallery I snapped while on my two-hour walking tour, and then come back on Monday for the start of our amazing photo story series.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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