The $100 million complex comprises two wings connected by an open courtyard: a dedicated research center, located at the northern end of the building, and a 'for-hire' event space, dubbed the Life Activity Center, located at the southern end. Architecturally, the two spaces are dramatically different and yet together they form a cohesive whole.
Structural Design
The building's design reflects the two sides of the brain. The free-form south side depicts creativity and imagination, while the stacked cubes on the north represent logic and reason. The four-storey clinic, which houses medical offices, patient rooms and research space, is rational. Clad in stucco and glass and resembling a series of stacked white blocks, it takes on a conventional, rectilinear geometry. While not in the immediate view of the project from the corner of the site, this is the actual front of the building serving as employee, patient and public entrance. The Activities Center contained within an expressive metal and glass form, is articulated as a curvilinear metal façade and roof with punched-window/skylight openings. Designed as an event space, it can be rented out for parties, weddings and special occasions with the proceeds going to fund the center's research. The Activities Center is flanked by a simple blocks of the Kitchen and Museum of the Mind which are ancillary functions of the Activities Center.
| Architect | : Frank Gehry |
| Location | : Las Vegas, Nevanda |
| Client | : Keep Memory Alive Foundation |
| Schedule | : Begin Design – 2005 Estimated Start of Construction – 2006 Completion – April 2010 |
The center is intended to provide facilities that bridge all aspects of patient care, research, and education, which include an outpatient clinic, a research clinic, neuro-imaging suites, a reference library, a small Museum of the Mind, a multi-purpose activities/banquet center for 450 people, a catering kitchen, as well as office space for the American Alzheimer's Association, the Huntington's Disease Association, the Keep Memory Alive Foundation, and the American Parkinson's Disease Association.
Architect Gehry deftly manipulates space and materials to create stunning structures that captivate the imagination. His design of Keep Memory Alive's headquarters at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health has been nothing short of remarkable. The Gehry teams have created a masterpiece of architectural design, blending strong visual impact with superior efficiency in patient care. Ar. Gehry wanted to create a place in Las Vegas that will be memorable. He explains, "The mantra is Keep Memory Alive. I'm trying to make a building that people will want to visit, remember, talk about, and enjoy, and ultimately will want to partner with us at the Center to help cure some of the neurodegenerative diseases."
