The new CAESARS FORUM, which opens in March, is unique in many ways, including its two pillarless ballrooms—the largest in the world. There is another point of distinction, however. The interior design aesthetic reflects the human need to connect with nature and living things (biophilic design). The interior finishes, abundance of natural light and interchangeability of indoor and outdoor space are intentionally designed to promote the wellbeing of the building’s inhabitants. For a conference center where event participants convene, it makes perfect sense.
Karyn Steenkamp, vice president, design and construction at Caesars Entertainment, oversees projects across the U.S. During the planning phase of CAESARS FORUM, she had the opportunity to weigh in on various aspects of the design that would set the new conference center apart.
“[I] enlisted our design team to tell a story,” she says. “Our story is biophilia, an innate connection to the outside world, to nature.”
But biophilia is more than a design trend. Human Spaces 2.0: Biophilic Design in Hospitality, a report from global commercial flooring company Interface, details the benefits of the practice for hotel guests: “Visual connections with nature have resulted in lowered blood pressure and heart rate, improved cognitive performance and positive attitudes.” A building that connects participants with nature “helps them function at a higher capacity,” Steenkamp adds.
Thus, CAESARS FORUM features natural stone and wood finishes. Plants are everywhere—on balconies and floors and recessed in walls. As light figures prominently in biophilic de-sign, giant windows flood the pre-function space with natural light and bifold doors offer direct access to a 100,000-square-foot dedicated outdoor event plaza. The four ballrooms—each of which represents the four seasons—are appointed with adjustable white light fixtures that can dramatically alter the mood of the room by changing light levels and color temperature. They ensure “the light gives you as much energy as possible,” Steenkamp explains.
Other touches reminiscent of the natural world feature prominently throughout CAESARS FORUM. Ballroom lighting fixtures measuring 42 feet long, 16 feet wide and 10 feet high “evoke emotion and draw design inspiration from a flock of birds,” Steenkamp says. Sculptures that hang from the ceilings in pre-function space appear to “move along with the air.” The building will carry a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification, and Caesars Entertainment’s best practices in the construction phase include the use of green materials and water-based paints.
The notion that indoor and outside space at CAESARS FORUM can be combined is biophilic at its core. A meeting planner may decide to hold their general session outside instead of a ballroom.
“Imagine the learning, the retention, the engagement that you get from your participants in that environment,” says Michael Massari (MPI Sacramento/Sierra Nevada Chapter), chief sales officer at Caesars Entertainment.
The interchangeability of CAESARS FORUM’s indoor and outdoor space is built into the design and is an important feature.
“The pre-function space has bifold doors—think large over-sized glass garage doors but elegant—that provide an indoor/outdoor experience,” says Lisa Messina (MPI Southern California Chapter), vice president of sales at Caesars Entertainment. “So, almost year-round, you can incorporate the outdoors into meals and breaks, which revive a meeting.”
Biophilia, within the CAESARS FORUM design, is rooted in subtlety. While there are many large and small elements in the space, they are intentionally designed to create wellbeing.
“You may not realize what makes you feel comfortable or energized inside CAESARS FORUM. This is because of the design,” Steenkamp says. “But if you feel good in a space, you want to come back to that space, and you’re going to get more out of the environment in that space.”
When CAESARS FORUM opens in March, it will be a mission accomplished.
“It’s large. It’s open. It’s airy. It has its own feeling,” Steenkamp says. “I don’t know that any other space in Las Vegas feels quite as beautiful as CAESARS FORUM will feel to anyone, and I can also say that there’s no space that’s quite as flexible to the extent of being able to accommodate 10,000 for a dinner together and feel comfortable.”
