Too many agonizing years usually pass between a building’s conception and its completion. In that slice of time, the world can change drastically — as it did with the planning, design, and construction of the CityCenter in Las Vegas and Burj Khalifa in Dubai. These two mega-projects — one, at 2,717 feet, the tallest building in the world; the other, a 67-acre mixed-use complex, the largest privately financed project in U.S. history — were both planned for desert climates when money was abundant. While energy concerns have always loomed like a dust storm on the horizon, earlier in this decade they still seemed solvable through better technology. In presenting analyses of these projects, RECORD is asking what can be learned architecturally and urbanistically from design caught in a time warp. It is easy to say that architects and planners should stay away from the desert and from big building. But we are seeking a more considered debate and therefore have devoted a majority of the August issue to the publication of these two projects. In addition to our coverage of the projects, we also focus on
the structure of the Burj Khalifa for a Continuing Education story, and turn over our
Lighting and
Products sections to both CityCenter and Burj Khalifa.
