Las Vegas, NV, 16 December 2009—New York City-based graphic design firm Two Twelve has completed a comprehensive signage and wayfinding system for the Vdara luxury condominium hotel opening today. Designed by architect Rafael Viñoly, Vdara is a LEED Gold-certified 1,495-unit residential oasis within the ambitious Las Vegas CityCenter development, an $8.5 billion, 67-acre destination of hotels, retail, and entertainment venues in the heart of Las Vegas.

"We collaborated with an extraordinary team to help create an extraordinary Vegas experience," said Two Twelve principal-in-charge David Gibson. "In a development of this magnitude, where there is so much visual stimulation, it is easy for visitors to feel overwhelmed and disoriented, but it is also important to sustain Vegas' signature mood of escape and fantasy." Two Twelve's wayfinding signage is not only consistent with the bold, elegant architecture and interior design of Vdara-neither overstated nor so subtle as to be overlooked-but also fulfills functional requirements with simple language and clear directional cues.

Project architect Leo A Daly engaged Two Twelve as environmental graphic design consultants to create the Vdara logo and interior and exterior signage for the residential and commercial spaces. We collaborated with the MGM MIRAGE Design Group and site architect Gensler to ensure that wayfinding graphics and signage extend the unique character of the Vdara brand and architectural approach, yet also reflect the design intent for the larger CityCenter complex. Signs exhibit striking combinations of rear-illuminated glass, stainless steel, wood, and other texture-rich, neutral-toned materials that harmonize with the architectural and interior design elements.

The Vdara project was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification in September 2009. To address sustainable design objectives through the sign program, Two Twelve incorporated recycled materials like 3form Varia Ecoresin (composed of 40% pre-consumer recycled content) and 3form 100 Percent (100% post-consumer recycled content) in sign structures wherever possible.

A vibrant addition to the skyline, Vdara provides condominium-style living within its smoke-free, non-gaming environment. Situated at the edge of the CityCenter site and removed from the bustle of Las Vegas Boulevard, Vdara offers a more exclusive alternative to other hotels within the complex, yet provides spectacular views and easy access to a variety of amenities. These include Chef Martin Heierling's Silk Road restaurant, the Bar Vdara lounge, a ballroom, grocery, conference center, fitness center, salon, spa, and open-air pool deck. The environmental graphics program helps define each unique destination within an overall aesthetic that is sophisticated and high tech yet softened by organic formal elements and a palette rich in natural colors, textures, and materials.

Vdara is only one component of the larger CityCenter, which represents a pinnacle of collaborative 21st century design. Contributing to the project were some of the world's most prominent architects and architecture firms, including Rafael Viñoly (Vdara), Cesar Pelli (Aria), Helmut Jahn (Veer Towers), Daniel Libeskind (Crystals), Karim Rashid (Silk Road restaurant), David Rockwell (Crystals interior), Kohn Pedersen Fox (Mandarin Oriental), and Gensler (master planning and infrastructure). The site is further dotted with artworks by noted contemporary artists such as Maya Lin, Jenny Holzer, Frank Stella, Henry Moore, Nancy Rubins, and Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. The Two Twelve team drew upon thirty years of experience as seasoned collaborators to successfully work with several of these firms and create innovative, integrated environmental graphic design solutions.

Two Twelve is a frequent collaborator with many leading design architects, planners and landscape architects such as Polshek Partnership, Beyer Blinder Belle, AECOM, Populous, Hargreaves, Robert A.M. Stern, Perkins + Will, and David M. Schwarz Architects. Two Twelve has created signage and wayfinding systems for such notable spaces and places as the Empire State Building, the New Amsterdam Theatre, Nashville's new Schermerhorn Symphony Center, and Children's Hospital Boston. Current clients include Princeton University, New Meadowlands Stadium, the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Bloomberg LP, and the Alexandria Center for Science and Technology at East River Science Park.

About Two Twelve
Two Twelve (http://www.twotwelve.com) is a graphic design firm that seeks sustainable solutions to problems of wayfinding, information, and visioning. David Gibson founded Two Twelve in 1980, and he and his partner Ann Harakawa presently run the firm's New York-based operation. Important commissions have included wayfinding, graphics, and signage design for the New York Mets' new ballpark, Citi Field; the Yale University campus; Massachusetts General Hospital; Radio City Music Hall; and Grand Central Terminal. Mr. Gibson is the author of the award-winning volume The Wayfinding Handbook: Information Design for Public Places (Princeton Architectural Press, 2009), an introduction to the interdisciplinary design practice.

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