Las Vegas Gets a Taste of Award Winning Landscape Architecture

Article by Frank Bourque – The Park, by !Melk Landscape Architecture & Urban Design, in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Let’s face it — landscape architecture isn’t just a growing revolution. It is the reality in which we live, and one that is pioneering the way to a better future. Many metropolitan cities have embraced landscape architecture and have shifted from simply accommodating it to actively integrating open space in strategic ways to elevate our urban environments. From Marina Bay Sands in Singapore to the Dubai Tower, there is a lot of good landscape design going on around the world. Many cities have embraced landscape architecture as an integral part of their built environments; Las Vegas, as unexpected as it may seem, is definitely one of them. One proof of that is this amazing project located on the Las Vegas Strip that transforms the flashy, entertainment-driven motif into a green paradise.

Las Vegas, The Park by !melk

The Park And Its Very Beginning

The new green space in Las Vegas actually has a very simple name: The Park. Completed this spring and officially presented on April 4, it injects a swath of nature into the concrete-and-glass strip and fills the blank spaces between modern buildings. Located between the popular hotels Monte Carlo Resort and Casino and New York Hotel & Casino, it features a massive outdoor public space filled with fun activities for people of all ages. The Park is definitely more than just a park. Extending from Las Vegas Boulevard to the famous T-Mobile Arena, it is meant to give a facelift to one of the most urban parts of Las Vegas and align it with urban landscape architecture at its finest.

The lead designer behind this project is the team at !Melk Landscape Architecture & Urban Design, a modern landscape architecture company located in New York. Being fully dedicated to this project and focused on making a huge difference as seen through the eyes of landscape architecture, the designers put their clear minds and optimistic attitudes to work. The end result is Las Vegas’ newest attraction, which has already welcomed millions of people. MGM Resorts International backed the project and continued its green domination of built-up landscapes in Las Vegas. The Park is one of the largest outdoor spaces in the city and a property that complements the gaming industry by adding a new twist.

What Does the Park Have to Offer?

The Park offers it all from entertainment to nightlife, amenities, and restaurants. It introduces the best of Las Vegas to the public and attracts like-minded individuals who understand and enjoy the presence of landscape architecture in an urban setting.

Also referred to as an oasis in the middle of the desert, The Park is a green space that includes some of the most unique native plants and trees. With more than 250 shade trees and more than 7,000 individual plants of both native and adapted varieties, the greenery is well-balanced within The Park. Agave and yucca plants and palo verde, acacia, and mesquite trees fit perfectly with the desert vegetation. And as soon as you notice the several fun water features and the amazing 60-foot-tall structures, you won’t see The Park as just a park anymore, but as an artistic hub that offers pure relaxation.

When to Go and What to Do

The Park is an open public space, which means that it is open 24/7. However, most of the restaurants, bars, and cafes are open during standard business hours – which, of course, tend to run quite late in “Sin City.” The best times to go are the afternoon and evening hours, and the best places to stay nearby are the Monte Carlo and New York, New York resorts. In a nutshell, The Park offers a lot of activities and opportunities for both tourists and locals. You can eat and drink, gamble, or just enjoy life. When it comes to nightlife, there are a few great restaurants and bars, including the Shake Shack, Beer Garden, California Pizza Kitchen, and the Japanese restaurant Sake Rok.

If you don’t feel like eating, drinking, or partying, you can sit back and relax in the authentic oasis of The Park. After all, the landscape is the most special thing in it, making The Park a great place for public gathering. The Park is definitely a place to visit and take pictures of the four clusters of shade structures, which stand around 60 feet tall and give the park an interesting artistic appeal, topping the wonderfully designed recreational spaces and walkways.

A Final Word

The Park is one of the best things to happen to Las Vegas in the past few years. The space is so popular nowadays that it is actually expected to be the most-visited urban park in the world. This breathtaking fact falls perfectly in line with the vision shared by the landscape designers at !Melk, proving that big metropolitan cities such as Las Vegas need vibrant, attractive, open spaces in order to build a true modern character.

From works of art to shade sculptures, bars, restaurants, LED-powered lighting sequences, and fascinating nature, The Park is definitely not to be missed when you visit Las Vegas. It creates a picturesque patio ambiance and pioneers the world into a new era in which landscape architecture dominates the outdoor spaces and sets the bar higher for every city. What do you think you would enjoy the most in The Park? Let us know in the comments section.

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Full Project Credits For The Park:

Project: The Park Designer: !Melk Landscape Architecture & Urban Design Size: Approximately 3 acres (6 acres including frontages) Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Date of Completion: April 2016 Client: MGM Resorts International Cost: $100 million (including the architecture of the restaurants) Since its opening on April 4, 2016, “The Park” has received coverage by numerous popular news and trade outlets, including: USA Today, NBC, Telemundo, NPR, ABC News. Fox 5, Discovery Channel Canada, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, De Volkskrant, The Guardian, Landezine, Architect Magazine, World Landscape Architecture Magazine World Architecture News, Inhabitat, Curbed, Landscape Architects Network

Awards

• Water Hero Award by the Water Conservation Coalition / Southern Nevada Water Authority (update May 17, 2016)
• Top 10 Landscape Architecture Projects of 2016

Recommended Reading:

• Becoming an Urban Planner: A Guide to Careers in Planning and Urban Design by Michael Bayer
• Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature by Douglas Farrs
• eBooks by Landscape Architects Network

Article by Frank Bourque

Published in Blog