MGM Springfield

With a long list of projects already completed for MGM Resorts International, KHS&S’ specialty theming expertise was again selected for MGM’s 500,000 square foot entertainment complex – MGM Springfield – in historic downtown Springfield, Massachusetts.

The opportunity came with an interesting challenge: recreate a facade that blended seamlessly into the charm of downtown Springfield’s existing buildings. Many of the buildings dated back to the 1800s and were still covered with original natural stone.

Implementing MGM’s design goals, the exterior created by KHS&S paid tribute to the City’s legacy, while signaling a renaissance for downtown Springfield. With experience in other projects centered on history-themed environments, KHS&S understood how to work with existing 300-year old structures surrounded by other historic buildings. Everything had to match, from architectural elements to the faux stone.

Over a two-year timeframe, KHS&S provided design concepts from their art studio in Las Vegas to project completion in the heart of New England with substrate coordination and 152,857 square feet of thematic elements. Theming included an impressive 26,395 parts of GFRC and FRP covering over 152,000 square feet of intricately designed facades.

Intricate architectural elements including cornices and window surrounds were fabricated by the team. Implementing best Lean practices, the 13,230 GFRC panels used to replicate the existing aged stone came from vendors in Utah, California, and Nevada – a 2,500-mile journey. The panels were then skillfully applied to the buildings following the complex mapping system.

At peak, nearly 50 craftsmen worked on the project during the 13-month installation. The crowning jewel was a 32-foot diameter dome dramatically flown by cranes into place atop the resort’s rotunda.

An undertaking with significant complexities, this landmark project added to KHS&S’ successful history with MGM Resorts. New England’s first integrated luxury resort and entertainment destination in historic Springfield, Mass. opened in August 2018 with building exteriors designed and installed that appear as if time stood still.