Story

Martinez+Johnson was asked to design the 1,500-seat Showroom at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The shell space in which the showroom is located was originally intended to house a 1,200-seat theatre but remained empty and was used as a storeroom.

Investigating how to increase the capacity of space for an additional 300 seats while providing operators with maximum seating configuration flexibility was a challenge M+J was excited to take on. Reconfiguring the empty facility as a flexible, high-quality theatre space while allowing the kitchen and main casino floor to remain operational throughout design and construction was up utmost importance.

M+J designed the state-of-the-art Showroom involving the addition of a new stage area, a modified fly tower, raked orchestra searing, tiered parterre level searing, and tiered balcony level seating. Utilizing M+J’s extensive experience with Broadway-style shows, the space was developed with the capacity for extended runs of larger productions typical of Las Vegas performances. The house has the ability to transform dramatically in both appearance and performance capabilities in order to meet the requirements of other types of productions. Raked seating was modified to large tiered platform area with cabaret style tables and chairs, and extended walkways installed.

Both front and back of house support spaces where designed with the new Showroom. A new lobby, concessions stands, and retail areas were devised to enhance the overall patron experience. Back-of-house development included performance and operations support facilities; fire, life safety, and building code requirements were given careful consideration as the project necessitated working with the existing egress pathways and fire suppression systems while seamlessly meshing them with the new assembly space requirements.