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\n\tThe Last Vegas Museum of Art (LVMA) has released renderings of its new museum building, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Francis K\u00e9r\u00e9. K\u00e9r\u00e9\u2019s design for the 60,000-square-foot building is inspired by the nearby Mojave Desert, the surrounding Red Rock Mountains, baobab trees, and Las Vegas\u2019s Guardian Angel Cathedral, a Catholic church with an A-frame design built by architect Paul Revere Williams in 1963.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe museum\u2019s mosaic-like fa\u00e7ade will be constructed from local reddish-brown stone. A roof canopy will create a large shaded plaza by the entrance, and there will also be a sculpture garden.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cLas Vegas is a place of architectural marvels and of a timeless, awe-inspiring desert landscape. We hope to create a welcoming, engaging building that reflects both aspects of Las Vegas, restoring the presence of the natural world to the iconic skyline,\u201d K\u00e9r\u00e9 said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe long-awaited museum got a big boost in the fall of 2024, when the city of Las Vegas agreed to give the LVMA an acre and a half of land downtown. The site is across the street from the Smith Center for the Performing Arts, which hosts touring Broadway shows and performances by the Las Vegas Philharmonic and the Nevada Ballet Theater.<\/p>\n
\n\tTwo of the most important driving forces behind the realization of the museum are Michael Govan, director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and a founding trustee of the LVMA, and the late<\/a> Elaine Wynn, former ARTnews<\/em> Top 200 Collector<\/a>, casino magnate, longtime arts patron, and LVMA founding board chair.<\/p>\n