The origins
The Great Parks of the American West are home to incredible treasures reminiscent of the cultural richness of the first peoples to walk these lands. Called Pueblo Indians, in reference to the astonishing villages(pueblos) they built between 300 and 1300, they were divided into different tribes: Anasazis, Hopis, Sinaguas... Initially, their habitat was relatively modest, consisting of small houses buried superficially with earth and branch roofs. Gradually, these scattered houses were grouped together in small hamlets and became more sophisticated. Made of adobe, cubic in shape, with a flat roof supported by a wooden beam system, these houses often offered only a single access, through the roof. With no doors, these houses also had few or no windows, the latter being very narrow and set into the thick walls to provide protection from the heat. This simplicity of plan made it possible to interweave volumes and thus create multi-storey, multi-room structures known as great houses. Villages were often enclosed by walls, built on mounds to ensure visibility and protection, and were associated with major engineering works: digging ditches, establishing cultivated terraces, creating dams and reservoirs. Then, from the 14th century onwards, the Pueblo Indians abandoned these villages to take refuge in the heart of the cliffs, establishing villages alternating between troglodyte and semi-built dwellings, and leaving astonishing petroglyphs on the rock faces. Most of these settlements are built of dry stone or sandstone and earth mortar. Roofs are made of a succession of layers of earth and branches supported by wooden logs. Flat, they always allow the interweaving of volumes to create an infinite number of structures, from modest storage spaces to imposing great houses. The walls, made of cob and consolidated by a system of wooden lattices, are often covered with plaster, adobe or clay, a surface which can then be decorated with a variety of motifs. Whatever the clan, all share an architecture imbued with strong symbolic power. Community and ritual spaces thus play a central role in villages. The most important of these is the kiva, a kind of circular well, semi-buried or entirely underground, whose entrance is often marked by a roof of mud and logs supported by posts. The kiva is associated with the sipapu, the hole that allows the spiritual world to emerge. These cities, perched on natural terraces sheltered in the rock, form the link between heaven and earth. Among the finest examples of this indigenous wealth, don't miss: the remains of Canyon de Chelly; the Betatakin and Keet Steel sites in Monument Valley; and above all, the treasures of Wupatki National Monument, including the flamboyant Wukoki Pueblo and the Wupatki Great House. The Navajo Indians, for their part, have developed a semi-nomadic habitat of which the hogans are the proud representatives. These conical huts, octagonal or hexagonal in plan, were originally built of earth and branches, and their openings invariably faced east. Today, although the Navajos have settled down and opted for a solid habitat, the hogans are still used as annexes. In Arizona, in the heart of the largest reservation, the Navajo Community College even drew inspiration from these huts for some of its buildings!
19th-early 20th century
The Gold Rush and the advent of the railroad gave rise to countless boomtowns... towns built in less time than it takes to say it! The rules of construction were always the same: first, a square-plan wooden building with one or two storeys and an almost flat roof was built to minimize wasted space; then, a kind of facade was added, extending beyond the roofline, with medallions, crenellations and tiers adorning the gables. Stylistic influences were very eclectic, in the purest Victorian spirit, which was particularly evident in the pretty arcades and elaborate balconies protecting elegant wooden sidewalks. Carson City, Nevada's capital, still boasts a fine historic center, as does Virginia City, which at the time was a paragon of modernity, with its sewage system, gas lines and elevator - the1st in the American West! Like Jerome, Arizona, the town was destroyed several times by fire and rebuilt in brick and stone. The same transformation can be seen in Flagstaff, the most picturesque city of its time. Here, the train station imposes its elegant Victorian silhouette tinted blue and white, while the old saloons built for the railroad workers line Route 66. Above all, however, the city boasts fine examples of the commercial and hotel architecture of the time, reflected in imposing red sandstone buildings with a highly industrial feel, yet adorned with handsome balustrades. The Babbit Brothers Building and the Weatherford Hotel are perfect examples.
The turn of the century marked the beginnings of Las Vegas, which was then no more than a modest supply station conceived by the railroad company in charge of the area. Fremont Street became the main thoroughfare, home not only to the station, whose glass roofs were inspired by Parisian galleries, but also to the first hotels and casinos. But it wasn't until the 1930s, with the construction of the Hoover Dam, that the city really took off. An engineering masterpiece, this 379 m-high dam (the largest in the world at the time!) required millions of tons of concrete. To underline its modernity, it was given a streamlined, streamlined shape with Art Deco accents, as evidenced by its sculpted towers, and its interior was decorated with Pueblo and Navajo motifs. Tucked away in a narrow rocky gorge, the Hoover Dam is still considered one of the most impressive constructions of the 20th century. The 19th-20th century also saw the advent of the Great National Parks managed by the National Park Service. In the heart of these parks, a unique, resolutely rustic style of architecture developed, which some would even describe as parkitecture, and which can be seen in the rangers' cabins, as well as in the hotels and lodges that were established there. Inspired by the simplicity and sobriety of the Arts and Crafts and chalet styles, with a strong emphasis on local materials, especially stone and wood, and designed in harmony with its environment, this parkitecture is inseparable from the West American identity. Gilbert Stanley Underwood was one of the great architects of this style. He was responsible for the elegant Zion Lodge, Bryce Canyon Lodge and Grand Canyon Lodge, which are recognizable by their massive, natural limestone log structures and roofs that sway in time with the surrounding landscape. But the most fascinating figure of this movement was Mary Colter, one of the few female architects of the time, who created superb structures blending native and rustic styles. She worked for the Fred Harvey hotel and restaurant chain, and left her mark on Grand Canyon Park in particular. The Hermits Rest and Phantom Ranch, all in stone and wood, and the Hopi House, inspired by native sandstone houses, are among her finest creations.
The rise of Sin City
The 1960s marked a turning point in the evolution of Las Vegas. It was at this time that extravagant casinos began to emerge from the ground, the most fascinating of them all being Caesars Palace. With an entrance marked by a triumphal arch and a single-span canopy of impressive dimensions, an interior populated by statues in Carrara marble and gilding, temples, rotundas and Pompeian gardens, and even a giant swimming pool inspired by the Baths of Caracalla... Caesars Palace sets the tone: Las Vegas is a theater of illusions. Everywhere, neon lights and advertising signs catch the eye, while the whole city is designed with the car in mind. Hotels and casinos pay particular attention to the facades overlooking the highway, and all have their own parking lots placed between the highway and their entrance. In this way, the city develops without any real planning, changing its face according to the competition between developers and financiers. Fascinated by this new kind of city, architects Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown and Steven Izenour decided to explore it from every angle. The result was an essay published in 1972: Learning from Las Vegas. As soon as it was published, the book provoked a virulent polemic. And yet, beyond certain assertions designed purely to provoke - such as the comparison between the Gardens of Versailles and the parking lots of Las Vegas, or the theory of the decorated hangar, a low-cost shoebox-like structure preceded by spectacular illuminated and colored signs, the realization of which transforms the architect into a mere decorator - the authors have helped to highlight what makes Las Vegas unique. Breaking with classic European architectural and urban planning codes, the city illustrates a typically American popular and commercial culture, which can be found in all suburbs The assembled light of signage creates new forms", and architecture becomes a vehicle for this new communication society. From the 1980s onwards, the city experienced a new boom. We entered the era of oversized hotel-casinos and shopping complexes whose "fanciful architectures are like magnifying mirrors that exaggerate the stereotypes that inspired them" Among the most famous representatives of this pastiche culture are, of course, the Luxor, with its pyramid and sphinx; the New York-New York, with its skyscrapers and Statue of Liberty; the Paris Las Vegas, offering a recreation of all the capital's major sites; not forgetting The Venetian, with its Doges' Palace and Grand Canal. Promoters such as Steve Wynn, of Treasure Island fame, raked in colossal sums by transforming the face of the city. The city, which until recently boasted panoramic views over the superb surrounding countryside, is now transformed into a city whose various spaces, linked by escalators, bridges, tunnels and elevators, now offer a horizon of glass, steel and concrete.
Contemporary trends and perspectives
Since the 1980s, Las Vegas has undergone impressive, uninterrupted demographic and urban growth, now approaching 2 million inhabitants. To accommodate them, the city has stepped up the construction of residential subdivisions, a kind of small town laid out in the heart of the desert, where water features and lush green lawns emerge, and where air conditioners and water diffusers are king. Lake Las Vegas is a perfect example. Unfortunately, while the population continues to grow, water resources continue to dwindle. In an attempt to stem the tide, the city has enacted new urban planning regulations. Since 2004, it has been forbidden to plant a lawn in front of a new building, while at the rear, only half the surface area can be covered with grass. Lawns, which consume a lot of water, are tending to disappear in favor of dry gardens. But nothing seems to be able to stop the increasing scarcity of blue gold. The gradual drying-up of Lake Meade has even led to the reappearance of the remains of the town of Saint-Thomas, which had been completely swallowed up when the dam and lake were created. Despite all this, promoters and financiers continue to wage battle with pharaonic and totally aberrant hotel and residential projects, such as the small new town of Coyote Springs, planned for 250,000 inhabitants and whose golf course has already broken ground. A city of dreams and illusions, Las Vegas is nonetheless increasingly aware of the urban and climatic challenges it faces. A flagship project in the revitalization of the area, the rehabilitation of the North Las Vegas City Hall and Civic Plaza by the Fentress agency, which won the National Award in 2012, is inspired by traditional civic architecture with its classical rhythms, tripartite masses, cantilevered cornices and natural colors, but above all restores the place of human beings, who can stroll through the various open spaces. But it is undoubtedly the City Center Las Vegas project that impresses most. Covering an area of just over 1 km2, this new center is home to no fewer than 6 buildings that have been awarded the gold level of the famous and highly demanding LEED ecological certification. Designed by leading international agencies, these buildings illustrate what tomorrow's city could be, with high-density urban planning, easy circulation and greater concern for people and the environment. While the Harmon Hotel designed by Foster & Partners was finally demolished due to faulty workmanship (a first for the famous architect!), the City Center is home to many other superb projects, such as the Aria Resort & Casino designed by Pelli Clarke & Partners, which impresses with its elegant curves, faceted and textured glass canopy and energy-saving curtain walls; Helmut Jahn's dancing, shimmering Veer Towers; and Crystals, a commercial district with an exterior design by Studio Daniel Libeskind. Just a stone's throw from this astonishing City Center, the city is home to another fascinating creation, also designed to limit its environmental impact: Frank Gehry's Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, whose steel volumes interweave in a fantastic ballet of curves and twists. Smart City and other complexes focusing on renewable energies are also in the pipeline... Could Las Vegas be teaching us how to live better tomorrow?
