Illuminarium at AREA15 exterior courtesy of Illuminarium Experiences
ILLUMINARIUM: BRINGING DREAMS TO LIFE
BY STACEY GUALANDI
Illuminarium Las Vegas just made a spectacle of itself. Spectacle, as in, an endless array of unique and stunning visual experiences.
The grand opening of Illuminarium at AREA15 was lit. Everything from astronauts balancing on moon globes to giraffe contortionists to outer space-themed cocktails helped put the spotlight on this new state-of-the-art immersive attraction.
The hot-ticket party also filled the night sky with an illuminating light show and the 36,000 square-foot entertainment complex to capacity.
Photography courtesy of Illuminarium Experiences
It was an exclusive showcase for the latest surround sight-and-sound sensory experience to emerge in the entertainment capital of the world. But CEO & Illuminarium Experiences Founder Alan Greenberg says this is a permanent cinematic immersion like no other.
“We thought there was something bigger out there, which was really to explore worlds; to try to recreate places that people dream about,” says Greenberg. “We try to transport you through the combination of content, scale, and technology.”
I consider myself thoroughly transported!
One minute, you’re traveling through Africa on a wild safari, surrounded by fantastic beasts (including nearly extinct Rwandan gorillas); the next, you’re floating through space on a NASA-supported journey to the moon, encircled by nebula and asteroids; and finally, you’re walking through Georgia O’Keeffe’s virtual garden, enveloped by the artist’s most famous flowers.
Photography courtesy of Illuminarium Experiences
“O’Keeffe took these little flowers, and she blew them up to seven feet high. We’re taking them to 22-feet high,” says Greenberg. “She would’ve loved it.”
Greenberg says he wanted to showcase someone iconic like O’Keeffe, recognized as the Mother of Modern Americanism. Now, for the first time, the “O’KEEFFE: One Hundred Flowers” art and music experience “celebrates and reimagines the floral stills” featured in Nicholas Callaway’s book of the same name—one of the best-selling art books of all time. (Full disclosure: If you listen closely, you can hear yours truly as the introductory voiceover for the exhibit!)
Illuminarium also boasts a 3D tracking system in the ceiling that creates interactivity, so, as you walk through O’KEEFFE, you can part the floral sea with your feet and leave footprints on the surface of the moon in “SPACE: A Journey to the Moon & Beyond,” coming Memorial Day weekend.
Photography courtesy of Illuminarium Experiences
There is also a “scent” system that changes with each show and a sense that elephants are following you in the $13 million “WILD: A Safari Experience.”
“We have in-floor haptics that create a rumble effect in your body, so if an elephant stomps, you feel it,” says Greenberg.
Photography courtesy of Illuminarium Experiences
“[Illuminarium] brings you into environments that you would never otherwise get to travel to, like the surface of the moon!” says Executive VP and General Manager Calum Pearson.
Pearson knows a thing or two about live multi-media experiences, having worked with Cirque du Soleil for nearly two decades, but he says this venue’s versatility sets it apart.
“I’ve been in Vegas since 2004, and I’ve opened many shows that were all exciting, but there is something very special happening here with immersive entertainment,” says Pearson.
It’s all possible thanks to a talented team of techies assembled by Greenberg, including Oscar-winning content producers Radical Media and design impresario (David) Rockwell Group.
But if you think all of these experiences are CGI, think again. “WILD was filmed with real cameras, all on location,” says Brian Allen, the executive in charge of technology and content.
“We use 42 projectors that make up resolutions 16 times the size of 4K,” says Allen of the cutting-edge technology. “At any given moment, we are projecting around 174 million active pixels. We’re just scratching the surface of what we can do.”
Illuminarium also offers a palatial patio and an indoor dining option for those who want a side of food with their safari.
Renowned James Beard Award-nominated and husband-wife business partners Elizabeth Blau and Chef Kim Canteenwalla are the consultants for Lumin Cafe + Kitchen, their latest culinary coup.
“We’re trying to make this menu approachable on all levels, but you’re going to get that quality that you expect from my husband,” insists Blau.
“Right now, there is a revolution of experiential attractions becoming even more food-focused,” says the famous foodie, so she couldn’t pass up the chance to work with David Rockwell on Lumin. While AREA 15 is really the attraction, Blau says, “Illuminarium is the best-supporting actress.”
“When you think about AREA15, you think of dark and edgy, Burning Man-meets-Life is Beautiful, so, when I spoke to David and his team, we wanted to put in these big windows, so it has much more of a light and airy, warmer, comfortable feeling,” says Blau.
There’s a little bit of everything on Executive Chef Billy Reid’s American menu: look out for fried chicken sliders with a kimchi slaw; Impossible burgers; buffalo cauliflower with blue cheese, and indulgent options like S’mores nachos and a cookie bar. Blau already has a favorite.
“I definitely would’ve answered pretzel bites because there’s nothing like a cheese fondue and a great craft beer to make me happy,” admits Blau. “But I tasted the Korean fried chicken and, my gosh! It’s got a perfect blend of spice and sweetness and was so good!”
Photography courtesy of Illuminarium Experiences
But folks, we’re not done yet. To wash everything down, there is “Illuminarium After Dark,” a 21-and-over, DJ-oriented ultra-lounge with multiple, evolving environments. (My favorite is the Shibuya Night Market in Tokyo!)
Photography courtesy of Illuminarium Experiences
Says Pearson, “The idea is to step out of a fully immersive environment and into a more relaxed one.”
There you can imbibe on specialty cocktails, like the out-of-this-world “Kuyper Belt” and the “Savannah Sunset,” complete with edible flowers. (So, you can see O’Keeffe’s flowers and eat them too!)
Now that Illuminarium has successfully premiered—first in Atlanta and now in Las Vegas—Greenberg says he’s already planning numerous sequels. Illuminarium will be coming soon to Chicago, and Miami. Spectacular.
“We are building a global experiential entertainment business,” says Greenberg. “And we’ll keep bringing dreams to life.”
