Photo: Opulence Studios

Photo: Alise O'Brien

Sitting at the south side of the Las Vegas Strip in Henderson, this hotel-casino development contains 396 rooms in a 14-story cast-in-place tower. The horseshoe-shaped, blue glass structure has a curved south façade with setbacks and a steel triangular truss grand porte-cochere entrance clad in zinc and glass. The contoured southern surface deflects wind for a calm northern face that opens onto a terraced 120,000-sq-ft pool area overlooking the valley. Cantilevered wings flank the outdoor space creating dining patios and terraces. The podium features Spanish porcelain tile, Turkish travertine and chocolate marble from Pakistan. It contains 92,000 sq ft of gaming and a 5,000-sq-ft wine cellar.

The low-rise features 80,000 sq ft of conference space, a fitness center, salon and spa. The podium connects to a three-level, cast-in-place parking garage structure to the east. The buildings, which are organized from west to east, cut into the site slope for a tapered profile from hotel tower down to garage. The complex is supported by a 4,000-sq-ft block central plant building with cooling towers and boilers, and added room for future hotel expansion and condominiums.

The judges felt the detailing and use of materials was handled with great skill.