Fabulous Las Vegas!
While during my Spring Break, I had the opportunity to hit the Boulevard for work that week. Conveniently in this course, we were studying Robert Venturi's Learning From Las Vegas. So while I was there, I got to experience Vegas as Venturi did.
Two concepts which we were discussing was the use of the "Duck' and the "Decorative Shed". Here are two of my favorite examples from Las Vegas demonstrating them:
The DUCK:
"Where the architectural systems of space, structure, and program are submerged and distorted by an overall symbolic form." -Venturi, Learning from Las Vegas
The Luxor is a fabulous example of "the duck" type of structure, showing that casino itself is built like a pyramid, where the signification represents that if you stay there, you will be as a pharaoh, wealthy and prosperous.
The DECORATED SHED:
"Where systems of space and structure are directly at the service of program, and ornament is applied independently of them." -Venturi, Learning from Las Vegas
The Cosmopolitan is a new casino/hotel on the Vegas strip, which is an excellent example of "the decorated shed", where the signs and ornamentation on the building do the talking for it. It creates a very posh environment, where the clientele are those who want to be on the forward edge of trend-setting and that is exactly what Cosmopolitan means. It is advertising it's own ornamentation.
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