Thursday, March 22, 2012

two stunning new buildings 'downtown'




Within walking distance of our apartment are two new buildings getting a lot of attention. The Art Deco-style Smith Center for the Performing Arts by architect David M. Schwarz features high-end audio design by Akustiks. The photograph top left was taken while work was still being completed in January. Top right is Las Vegas artist Tim Bavington's sculpture in the outdoor plaza, based on “Fanfare for the Common Man.”.
The new Las Vegas City Hall is a 'green design' featuring 23 energy generating 'solar trees'. The chief architect Howard Elkus has created a contemporary design which relates to the neon heritage of downtown Las Vegas. LED lights on glass fins create the impression of water streaming down the facade of the building which is spectacular at night.
It should also be noted that both buildings showcase a range of works by local artists and public tours are available.

4 comments:

Burg said...

Great to see some purpose built cultural architecture being in stalled in LV. Then again LV is the embodiment of the uber synthetic US dream culture.

Jo Russ said...

True - LV has a reputation for lacking culture, but love it or hate it, it does have it's own style and a healthy underground scene ... The Smith Performing Arts Center aims to add a whole new dimension.

Burg said...

FYI: another take on LV this is good: http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/essay/foreclosures-las-vegas-reno

Jo Russ said...

Thanks so much for that link - I hadn't seen it. Great photographer - great project! I know plenty of people here who've had their homes foreclosed ... it is a large-scale tragedy