PROJECT. The Criss Angel BeLIEve project has been published in the March edition of CONTRACT magazine.  The project is a re-design of the entry sequence into the theatre at the Luxor Hotel and Casino in conjunction with the debut of the newest permanent Cirque du Soleil show, Criss Angel BeLIEve.  Its opening in September 2008 provided a sneak-peak into the major renovations that will occur at The Luxor through 2009.  The 2.1M project began in October 2007 and opened for the public in October 2008.  Project scope includes a Box Office & Retail space of 6000 square feet and Bar/Lounge of 14,500 square feet.

CONCEPT. By reflecting the enigmatic characters of Criss Angel and Cirque du Soleil, the architect’s call to action was to redesign the Box Office, Entrance, Retail Space and Theatre Bar/Lounge for the new dramatic experience.  This scope allowed a concept which considers the emotional mind-set of the audience as it approaches, spatially and temporally, the theatrical event.  The narrative of BeLIEve parallels Lewis Carroll’s classic literary work, “Through the Looking Glass,” as both pieces follow a protagonist’s journey into a whimsically absurd alternate reality.  In each piece, access to this other world is gained only through a very specific, yet different, threshold; one tangible (the looking glass), one experiential (an accident induced dream). Thresholds between levels of certainty, as literary premise inspired the architect to consider a similar perception when designing the tangible space of (sub)conscious journey.  The architectural realization of this journey provides a sequence of spatial thresholds (stages) through which BeLIEvers are slowly submerged.  Passing through each stage means passing into progressive levels of engagement with the artist’s warped perception, the ultimate destination. (more…)