2006 merit award USITT K Á Theatre Location Architect of Design Architect of Record Theatre Consultant Acoustician Opened Las Vegas, Nevada Cirque du Soleil & Mark Fisher Marnell Corraro Associates Auerbach·Pollock·Friedlander Pelton Marsh Kinsella February 2005 D esigned specifically for the needs of Cirque du Soleil's production, KÀ, the KÀ Theatre was built within the existing shell of the MGM Grand's Theatre. The auditorium boasts seating for 1,950 and is used for ten performances each week. Intricate catwalks reminiscent of ship crow's nests involve the audience in the performance space. On stage, mechanization is king, with numerous motorized rigging sets and a massive gantry crane that allows a 30-foot by 100-foot platform to rotate about three axes. The magnitude of technological innovation in this project convinced the jury that it merited an award. 26 THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY SPRING 2006