The Strip: Las Vegas and the Architecture of the American Dream

This book outlines the architectural trends on Nevada's Las Vegas Strip from 1941 to the present. Dutch architect Al (urban design, Univ. of Pennsylvania; Villages in the City; Mall City) encourages readers to take the structural design of the area seriously, because he believes it echoes American architectural movements found throughout the country. Making a chronological journey of the Strip from its beginnings as a false-front Western town in 1941 to the hot neon lights of the 1960s, the Disneyland-like entertainment of the 1980s, up to the serious architecture of today, Al reviews each era of development, naming key architects, influential artists, and notable exterior themes. The chapters include photographs (historic and contemporary, color and black and white) that document the general and specific architectural elements discussed.