Palms Casino Resort

Contrast, movement, and rhythm are some of the fundamental principles of art and design, all of which are found at the Palms Casino Resort, whose interior design has been reimagined as a destination for world-class contemporary art.

Originally opened in 2001, the property underwent significant renovations from 2017 to 2019, valued at almost $700 million. These renovations included the acquisition of an eclectic array of modern art for public display, featuring works by Takashi Murakami, KAWS, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Damien Hirst. One of the most celebrated and controversial contemporary artists of his generation, Hirst designed an entire suite for the Palms titled the “Empathy Suite,” which includes sculptures of a dissected bull shark, titled Winner/Loser, a medicine cabinet, titled Vegas, and a large case filled with stunning cubic zirconia diamonds, titled The Winner Takes All. These pieces all embody themes that are common throughout Hirst’s larger body of work, primarily focused on mortality, medicine, and addiction. In the future, the Palms will continue its efforts to find new artwork to rotate into the resort’s growing collection.

Las Vegas is a fluctuating city that is now expanding to the area north of the Strip, adjacent to the Downtown Las Vegas Arts District. This emerging area accommodates several cultural spaces, such as The Smith Center of Performing Arts and the Discovery Children’s Museum, which are paving the way for Las Vegas’ future, envisioned as a global destination for arts and culture. The city recently announced Symphony Park’s next cultural hub, the Las Vegas Museum of Art, which will be designed by Kéré Architecture and will operate through a partnership with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. According to architect Francis Kéré, “The design blends the beauty of the desert environment with local building principles,” such as passion and collaboration. The light permeating through the triangles of the Las Vegas Museum of Art’s exterior are an homage to Paul Revere William’s Guardian Angel Cathedral. Williams also designed the La Concha Motel lobby building in 1961, which now serves as The Neon Museum’s La Concha Visitors’ Center.