World Market Center Files Architectural and Site Plans with City of Las Vegas The Jerde Partnership International Creates Global, Cutting Edge Design

Furniture World News

World Market Center, a 7.5 million square-foot international and domestic home and office furnishings complex, has officially filed its architectural and site plans with the City of Las Vegas. The 10-building campus, designed by The Jerde Partnership International, reflects a contemporary, yet timeless design to complement the ever-changing trends of home furnishing styles. The site plans filed with the City of Las Vegas also feature 2.5 million square feet of hotel, office and residential buildings in five towers located on the campus. "We selected The Jerde Partnership to design World Market CenterSM because they demonstrated, more than any other firm, a true understanding of the global scope of our project," said Shawn Samson, a managing partner of Furniture Mart Enterprises, LLC, the developers of the complex. "Jerde has an unparalleled track record in executing large scale master-plans woven together with a common thematic thread throughout the project. In that respect, they’ve created World Market CenterSM with the same grand inspiration that they’ve successfully demonstrated in such projects as Bellagio in Las Vegas, Horton Plaza in San Diego, and Mall of America in Minneapolis." Since 1977, The Jerde Partnership International has been a leader in developing concepts and methodologies to design more humanistic, multi-use spaces. In the process, the firm has created a new architectural discipline: experiential design. According to the firm’s founder and urban visionary, Jon Jerde, FAIA, "We design large-scale, mixed-use projects that solidify a sense of place and identity for cities all over the world and fabricate rich, experiential places that inspire and engage the human spirit." The visionary impact of the125-member, Los Angeles-based urban planning and architecture firm is being realized globally today with the design of projects in the United States, Asia, Europe and South America. "Designing an industry-specific project on the magnitude of World Market CenterSM is an exciting opportunity for The Jerde Partnership," explains John Simones, the Jerde project designer. "The conceptual challenges in the design of this innovative large-scale project parallel our approach to all of our work, allowing us to bring all of our creativity and experience to bear." The design of World Market Center blends the indigenous Las Vegas landscape with futuristic elements with the use of a terra-cotta color palette and metallic glass panels that reflect the changing colors of the desert, sun and sky. Contextually-specific elements are located throughout the complex, including water features, interior and exterior landscaping, and a central atrium at the heart of the project which will provide for communal interaction for visitors. Embedded into the exterior facade of the building is a semi-circular form – a universally recognizable icon that identifies the complex as a global container and showcase for the industry’s products. This distinct icon is incorporated into the company’s logo and marketing materials. "In commissioning the design of this project, we asked The Jerde Partnership to create a design that will become recognizable internationally," said Samson. "We wanted an icon that will mark the birth of this brand new venue as a lasting container for showcasing all facets of the industry. The same theme and architectural language will continue throughout the campus to create an evolving internationally recognizable collage." The first stage of the project will dominate the complex and become known as World Market CenterSM Towers - four million square feet of permanent showrooms dedicated to all segments of home and office furnishings. To be built in three phases, World Market Center SM Towers will comprise three separate buildings and will be open to trade only. The first tower constructed will stand 10-stories high and include two levels of parking. World Market Center is being built on 57 acres of land located in the heart of downtown Las Vegas – a site that boasts 125,000 hotel rooms within a five-mile radius. World Market CenterSM is now pre-leasing space in the first phase- one million square feet of permanent showrooms. For more information about the project or leasing space, contact David Palmer at (888) 416-8600 or by e-mail: Palmer@LasVegasMarket.com.