One of my larger projects last year was photographing the Expo building at the World Market Center in Las Vegas, NV.
I photographed this new addition to the World Market Center as part of two assignments, the first for EV&A, the architecture firm responsible for the exterior and overall design. I later photographed additional interiors for Fentress Architects out of Denver. Fentress partnered with EV&A and was responsible for the interior design of the Expo.
The World Market Center had three buildings--A, B and C--prior to the addition of the Expo. The Expo features two large exhibition halls, the north hall and the south hall, which can be separated by a movable wall or combined into one large space. And by large I mean over 190,000 square feet combined. Here’s a panoramic view of the exhibition halls. We’re right in the middle, with the south hall on the left and the north hall on the right.
The Expo has been integrated into the existing structures. It connects directly with Building C, and the existing parking structure elevators open into the new space. The 11,900 square foot registration area provides ample space for people to gather outside the exhibition hall, and several sitting areas offer comfortable spaces to catch up on email, make a quick phone call, or meet friends and colleagues.
The Expo features a glass curtain wall on the three exterior facing sides of the registration area and along the corridor connecting the main registration area to the smaller lobby that provides access to the parking garage and the rest of the World Market Center buildings. The glass curtain wall admits a great deal of natural light to the space. The glass walls also provide great views of some of the other interesting architecture in downtown Las Vegas, such as the Gehry-designed Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Research, the Smith Center for the Performing Arts, and the many hotels and casinos in downtown Las Vegas like the new Circa Resort.
In the evening, the integrated lighting of the polygonal ceiling system comes to life and illuminates the registration area.
As Las Vegas returns to normal, I know the World Market Center Expo is looking forward to welcoming many guests.