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LAS VEGAS - Oct. 5, 1999 - When developers of The Venetian
Resort-Hotel-Casino decided to recreate the famous Italian city built on
water, they thought of the irony of transporting the famous city of canals
and gondolas to the desert of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Now, that irony has translated into a cultural alliance between the new resort and a group of architects, government officials, and international policy experts from Venice, Italy. The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino has formed an alliance with The Forum For The Venice Lagoon, a non-profit organization formed in 1991 for the protection and redevelopment of the lagoon surrounding the historic city of Venice, Italy. The Venice Lagoon, or Laguna Veneta, has been plagued by ecological problems such as pollution and rising sea-levels that threaten the city and its ancient structures. �The Venetian is a sincere tribute to Venice, done with care and great attention to historical detail,� said Aldo Manos, president of The Forum For The Venice Lagoon. �Its use of traditional building materials such as Italian marble, gold,
and painted murals, is outstanding. It gives a genuine glimpse of the city
and it should provide visitors with the feeling of being in Venice. I was
surprised and astonished by the scale of The Venetian. It is in a class
by itself. The Venetian provides us with an opportunity to inform millions
of visitors of the beauty and history of Venice.�
�As an architect, I see The Venetian as a compilation of true Venetian pieces that give the reflection of the city itself,� said Francesco Calzolaio, a consultant to The Forum. �The Venetian translates in an international, post-modern language the feeling of the city of Venice. The fantastic landscape of The Strip now has a wonderful piazza without neon with the fine quality of the reproduction of the famous palaces of Venice. Many other places in the world such as China and Brussels have tried to recreate Venice, but The Venetian is by far the best,� Calzolaio added. The Forum For The Venice Lagoon is a consultative member of the United Nations Program for the Mediterranean for the Urban Environmental Habitat and the European Urban Forum For Sustainable Development. The Forum is deeply involved in environmental, quality of life, and development issues in Venice and its objectives are to generate new ways to breathe life into the Lagoon. Forum, as its name indicates, seeks to embrace institutes and associations that address similar issues. The city of Venice and its Lagoon has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. With nearly 300 square miles of sea and land influenced by tide, it is the great expanse of wetlands in Europe and the Mediterranean, home to a rich diversity of animal and plant species. Venice has established itself as one of the most ancient, beautiful and culturally endowed cities on the planet. Opened on May 3, The Venetian is mirrored after Venice, Italy and features authentic recreations of Venice�s fabled architecture. The resort boasts the world�s largest hotel and convention complex which includes 3,036 hotel suites, the first all-suites hotel on Las Vegas Boulevard; approximately 120,000 square feet of gaming floor; approximately 500,000 square feet of retail space at The Grand Canal Shops; approximately 500,000 square feet of meeting space at The Venetian Congress Center; and a direct link to the approximately 1.2 million square foot Sands Expo and Convention Center. |
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