What I learned from Las Vegas.

For our studio class our instructor Patrick Lucas gave us a list of books that we were to each choose one book to read. The books were all theoretical and, I feel enabled everyone to get a better feel for design. The book "Learning From Las Vegas" by Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour was not among the books on the list, but as I approached the instructor and asked if I could read this book, he delightfully said that was an excellent choice. The book is divided into two parts, part one mainly discusses the actual observations the Yale university group gathered in their ten day visit to sin city. Part two on the other hand investigates ugly and ordinary architecture against the decorated shed.

Part I

Most feel that the first part is meant to be informative and not so much theoretical, however I find that there are many useful points that can enhance a design. SYMBOL DOMINATES SPACE! When you see a picture of the ocean one automatically makes the assumption that they are at the beach, thus making the ocean a symbol of the beach. The book was an advocate for incorporating communication and familiarity within a design to make the users feel more comfortable within space. The strip is made up of many luxurious casinos with very flamboyant signs, however on the side that faces away from the highway the structure is bare and reveals the forms mechanical systems and service entrances. From this I learned that placement is crucial, I also learned that a structure should be designed completely, not just a facade. I learned the importance of aesthetics and entourage of a space. Casinos on the marvelous strip are by no means monumental in the classic sense of the word, however the careful use of light and highly specular materials makes the space seem never-ending thus creating the illusion of monumentality. 

Part II

(the duck vs. the decorated shed)

The second part of the book seems to have little to no interest in Las Vegas as the previous segment did. The duck is when a structures unique form makes the building a symbol. The decorated shed is when the ornament of a structure transforms the building into a symbol. It seems that the authors were strongly in favor of the decorated shed because most modern architects of the time had cast ornament aside and created bare monumental structures, but in their quest to create a form with no unnecessary ornament or historical precedent the modern architects constructed a form that was a symbol, categorizing it as a duck. The book leaves off with a quote from Augustus Pugin that states "it is okay to decorate construction but never construct decoration." I feel that was the answer that I was searching for throughout the analysis and theory of the book. I feel the authors did an excellent job analyzing the strip of Las Vegas and getting their point across. I highly recommend this wonderful book to the upcoming designer.

Above is a Diagram that we were to create for a verbal presentation of our books. I focused on a point that was strongly relevant to the first portion of the book. "SYMBOLS IN SPACE DOMINATE FORMS IN SPACE." Its quite evident that the mountains are a symbol of the Nevada backdrop, but how do the forms utilize ornament to overpower the beautiful mountainous region?