Culture Kings Las Vegas Wins NCA Building Project of the Year

Shawmut’s Culture Kings Las Vegas project was awarded Building Project of the Year (under $15 million) by the Nevada Contractors Association (NCA) and Vegas Inc, recognized as an exemplary feat in construction and honoring Shawmut as one of the best general contractors in Southern Nevada. Read the award feature here and more on the project below.

Located in The Forum Shops at Caesars, Culture Kings provides an entirely new retail experience. Bringing to life the world-famous streetwear brand’s first-ever U.S. flagship, Shawmut created the two-story, 25,000 square-foot immersive space.

The Culture Kings store provides a multisensory experience, with the most sought-after and exclusive streetwear pieces displayed within a futuristic aesthetic. Black floor tile and metal work throughout put the focus on the products and Culture Kings content. The space also includes a LED-lined half basketball court; a state-of-the-art, professional grade recording studio; and a shoe customization lounge. The store also boasts the largest hat wall in the world, DJ stage, bar, and other interactive games that guests can play to win exclusive merchandise.

To bring the flagship to life, Shawmut installed: a large feature staircase with LED-clad risers; mirrored tunnel hallway that leads clients into a secret room for exclusive limited-edition pieces; a jumbotron; and more than 50 LED screens to livestream the latest drops, live feeds from other stores around the world, and artists-in-residence.

Having worked in The Forum Shops and all major resort venues on the Strip, Shawmut was fully prepared for the detailed planning this project required. Working on the casino level, accessibility and operations were logistical challenges. Shawmut’s team of experts coordinated with the resort operations team through continuous communication to ensure the team mitigated disturbances and was as invisible as possible to the public, shoppers, and other retailers.

Combining four existing retail spaces into one, Shawmut performed structural work to create one massive, two-story store. The team demolished the spaces down to the studs, added a mezzanine, and infilled where the existing stairs and elevators were. Access to all four spaces was not available right away, so the team created a sequenced schedule that allowed for work to begin based on availability. A/V integration was also a large component of this project, ensuring the infrastructure and systems were in place to allow the 50 LED screens to operate wirelessly with the ability to be controlled remotely and have livestream capabilities. Other complexities of the project included creating a whole new egress method and combining existing utility systems into one.

Since the client was based in Australia, the Shawmut team traveled to meet the team in-person, experience existing stores, and fully understand the business. Executing the client’s vision from afar, the team had regular check-ins to provide updates on progress and ensure the execution delivered on the vision and goals.

The result is not just a retail destination, but an entertainment source that’s a must-visit for streetwear fans, shoppers, tourists, celebrities, artists, and athletes from around the world. The flagship will host e-sports events, in-store concerts, exclusive merch pop-ups, and celebrity meet and greets—a perfect destination for travelers coming to the Strip for the Las Vegas Formula 1 Grand Prix and Super Bowl LVIII.