A fair trade
On the north and south ends of the center, the two massive entrance gates introduce visitors to the story of Desert Passage, a journey through the exotic lands of Northern Africa and across the ancient Arabian trade routes from Morocco to India.
Massive ancient blocks of desert sandstone form the Morocco Gate with a towering arch supported by ornately carved columns. The India Gate is expressed in crisp white plaster with colorful painted floral details and capped with a vibrant blue dome and golden spire. In the category of New or Renovated Entertainment/Themed Retail, Los Angeles-based RTKL Associates Inc. received an honorable mention for its design work on the project.
Its backers are billing The Desert Passage at the Aladdin Resort & Casino as a “shopping adventure” that follows the ancient North African trade route. While browsing for clothes or jewels, shoppers will visit marketplaces such as the Lost City. The Treasure House adds to the feeling of strolling through a bazaar in a faraway land where merchants sell their wares in colorful marketplaces.
Category
HONORABLE MENTION
New or Renovated Entertainment/Themed Retail
Award Recipient
RTKL Associates Inc.
Los Angeles
Client
Aladdin Gaming LLC
Las Vegas
Product Manufacturers/Suppliers: Tishman Construction Corp. of Nevada, Las Vegas (owner consultant); Fluor Daniel/ADPMarshall, Las Vegas (general contractor); ADP/FD of Nevada Inc., Phoenix (general contractor/associate architect); RTKL Nevada Corp., Los Angeles (design architect); Clark County Health District, Las Vegas (governmental); Nadel Architects Inc., Las Vegas (associate architect); TLCP Structural Inc., Phoenix (structural engineer); Martin & Martin, Las Vegas (civil engineer); Lifescapes International Inc., Newport beach, Calif. (landscaping); Arthur L. Kassan, Culver City, Calif. (traffic and parking); Rolf Jensen & Associates Inc., Walnut Creek, Calif. (code/fire consultant); Schaller Architectural Illustration, New York (renderer); Kaplan Partners Architectural Lighting, Los Angeles (lighting); Raymond Co., Las Vegas (D/B contractor); Valley Crest, Placentia, Calif. (D/B contractor)