Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/101712
POWER COUPLE Jon Sparer and John Klai with their two dogs. two of a kind J on Sparer and John Klai remember the moment when they recognized how great the need was for The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada. "At a meeting for the center we heard a story," Klai says. "A staff member had received a distressed call from a gay kid, who was at that moment locked in his room about to commit suicide." Some quick thinking was key. "While he was on the phone keeping the boy calm, the police came and literally saved his life." The center has been working on a permanent home to call its own for years, and it will proudly open in Vegas in February. YWS, an architectural firm of which Sparer is principal, designed and built the Midcentury Modern downtown gem, with Klai serving as sounding board. They have plenty of experience together in this fashion: The couple have been together 27 years, 13 as domestic partners, and have a 29-year-old daughter, Allison. 38 "With the redevelopment of downtown Vegas, there are some great examples there of this style in homes, old motels, and even pylon signs," Sparer says. The community center has an outdoor courtyard, wellness center, café, large library, and computer lab. "This is a safe place for kids, youth, and people of all ages including seniors," says Klai, who is an active committee member for the center's annual fundraiser, Honorarium. Klai's Klai Juba Architects is behind the current Palms renovations, remodels of Hard Rock and Planet Hollywood, and the design of Mandalay Bay. Sparer's firm designed the new Hakkasan restaurant and nightclub, and projects as far away as Beijing and Perth. The two architects living in one (sleek and contemporary, but warm and inviting) house laugh when asked if there is competition. "We don't really bump toes," Sparer says. "It's a big collaborative community in this town. Vegas is a city, but a small town, and we celebrate each other's successes." V PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN BROWN THE DESIGN OF THE NEW GAY AND LESBIAN COMMUNITY CENTER IS IN GOOD HANDS: FAMED ARCHITECTS (AND LONGTIME COUPLE) JON SPARER AND JOHN KLAI. BY CINDY PEARLMAN VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 038_V_SC_PowerDuo_Win13.indd 38 1/2/13 5:29 PM