Las Vegas: history & architecture

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. This famous commercial slogan says it all: an American city, surrounded by a hostile natural border, embodies the oasis of architectural, material, energetic, food, playful debauchery to which one goes to enjoy life without thinking about one's daily life. This is especially true for Americans living on the west coast of the country. But Europeans are also drunk with the images of Las Vegas thanks to the cinema. The IMDb film database contains hundreds of films set in Las Vegas, from "The Amazing Colossal Man" released in 1957 to "Jason Bourne" released in 2016 and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" from 1998. We also have in mind the zany scenes from "The Hangover" (2009) and the deluge of stars from "Ocean's Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen" (2001, 2004, 2007). In the music industry, the city has established itself as a scene that cannot be ignored. The greatest Western artists have wished to perform there, once, like French singer Johnny Hallyday or several years in a row like Frank Sinatra or Celine Dion. Television has also taken over Las Vegas for whole series like "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" or a few episodes like "Friends". So, bottle-fed with images of flashing casino fronts, even without going there, everyone thinks they know Las Vegas. This is why this book is deliberately non-illustrated: the image of Las Vegas is too well-known compared to its concrete history. It is time to understand why this city is so original. And to do so, we must focus on its history and architecture.

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