The Strip: Las Vegas and the Architecture of the American Dream (MIT Press)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.88 (833 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 026203574X |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 272 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-10-28 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
. Stefan Al, a Dutch architect and urban designer, is Associate Professor of Urban Design at the University of Pennsylvania. His books include Villages in the City and Mall City
The Strip takes a high-speed transect down one of the world's most important streets as it evolved from a cowpath to the Las Vegas Strip, a tour which yields essential insights into larger American social dynamics. The Strip is a definitive account of their surreal spawn along an axis at once emblematic and truly weird. Al sees Vegas not simply as metaphor for what animates and ails us, nor as occasion for learned analytic theatrics (as if the parking lot of Caesars Palace really were aswim with chariots). Fox, Director, Center for Art + Environment, Nevada Museum of Art)Fin
He describes the feverish competition of Las Vegas developers to build the snazziest, most tourist-grabbing casinos and resorts -- with a cast of characters including the mobster Bugsy Siegel, the eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes, and the would-be political kingmaker Sheldon Adelson. Al tells two parallel stories. After that came Disney-like theme parks featuring castles and pirates, followed by replicas of Venetian canals, New York skyscrapers, and the Eiffel Tower. Las Vegas became the "implosion capital of the world" as developers, driven by competition, got rid of the old to make way for the new -- offering a non-metaphorical definition of "creative destruction." In The Strip, Stefan Al examines the many transformations of the Las Vegas Strip, arguing that they mirror transformations in America itself. The Las Vegas Strip has impersonated the Wild West, with saloon doors and wagon wheels; it has decked itself out in midcentury modern sleekness. It has illuminated itself with twenty-story-high neon signs, then junked them. (It might be noted that forty-two million people visited Las Vegas in 2015 -- ten million more than visited the real Paris.) More recently, the Strip decided to get classy, with casinos designed by famous architects and zillion-dollar collections of art. Generously illustrated with stunning color images throughout, The Strip traces the many metamorphoses of a city that offers a vivid projection of the American dream.. The Stri
P. Braun said Great book that cold have been better. I've visited Las Vegas every year for the last quarter century and have witnessed first hand the changes detailed in the book. Although I was aware of the various stages since 1990, this book explains why they happened and certainly provides a better understanding of the periods. I stayed at the Luxor when the Nile River was flowi. Wonderful book A wonderful book about the Las Vegas Strip, where truth is stranger than fiction. The book brings the bizarre buildings of the Strip to life with incredible stories, colorful characters, and thoughtful analysis. This is architectural writing at its best. It's also a beautiful coffee table book with amazing photos!. Kenneth A. Hoffman said A fun fresh approach to an overdone topic which will have you smiling or sometimes laughing out loud --. I'm savoring the text, the overall approach to describing the one-of-a-kind evolution of this city--the stories behind how so many of us can be lured to the desert. This is NOT your typical hype book about Sin City; If you expect a coffee table book loaded with photos, this is not for you. But, BUT, if you are fascinated by the cr