About the only thing that happens in Vegas faster than new construction is the erasing of history. In a city where a five year-old building is considered tired, it's no surprise that history passes through the bulldozer's bucket faster than a free buffet line. Enjoy this view of that blue and silver building. It won't be around much longer! When visiting Las Vegas I usually find myself visiting the seedier parts of town looking for what made Sin City click in the Fifties and Sixties. This time around I actually wanted to visit something new . Yes, a modernist enclave on the main drag for a change! One of the most interesting new sites on the Strip is called City Center. Ironically, this new Geary-induced development is soon to be visited by wrecking crews! In a bizarre "only in Vegas" turn of events the Harmon Hotel is going to be razed before it ever opened its doors . The 26-story hotel has been deemed defective and the owners have requested a
On the Trail of Julius Shulman: Stop 2 "This is a bank," the sign outside the futuristic building read. According to legend a prankster added a strategic question mark and echoed the sentiment of many passers-by: "This is a bank?" That was back in 1964 when it opened. Today the Arvest on Lincoln Boulevard looks a bit less Jetsonian, mostly due to replacement of structural glass below the "saucers," but it's still an unusual bank. Designed by Robert Roloff of the architectural firm Bailey, Bozalis, Dickinson & Roloff, the State Capitol Bank caused quite a stir in Oklahoma City when it opened. Heck, it's still pretty shocking today! Originally the flying saucers appeared to hover above the building (as seen in this vintage postcard). All the glass that made that effect possible also made heating and cooling an expensive proposition. Security concerns also mandated replacement of those windows with solid materials and small square portholes