Analysis Of Denise Scott Brown's 'Learning From Las Vegas'

Shaguni Gupta

Professor Joseph Godlewski

October 20, 2014

Denise Scott Brown – Learning from Pop

Denise Scott Brown’s ‘Learning from Las Vegas’ showcases architecture in its current light. It is a call to reinvigorate the architectural designing with respect to the symbolic context of the commercial strip of Las Vegas. The text, been written in 1971, was undergoing the transition from the modernists of the 20s to a result of pop culture movement happening today. It focuses on the idea of change. In this text, Brown argues that, post emergence of pop culture, architecture should begin learning and adjusting to popular culture instead of staying caught up in the ideals of the classic architects of that time. “new sources are sought…conservative

He says that unlike cities, in suburbia people need to go all the way down to the stores away from the residences to buy basic commodities, wasting valuable sources like gas. He believes that denser areas will not only satisfy the mass consumption needs but will also save the economic crisis. Therefore in order to satisfy the needs of a large number of people architecture has not only moved upwards but has become more prominent through its interactiveness rather than by

Architecture is not only about accommodating a large number of people but also about to appeal them. Like Loos’ Maison Muller is more on a communicative basis, from the pop culture of today’s society. High demand leads to high production, which has lead to more advertisements to attract people. This has emerged pop landscapes, like Las Vegas, as mentioned by Brown. The streets are filled with billboards that just do not occupy space but also interact and communicate with the audience. In a comparative analysis of the directional speed of the strip in Las Vegas, Venturi discusses how are passerby’s speed is relative to the size of the billboard. As the passenger approaches to a stop, the sign is same as his size, but as the speed increases, the sign enlarges. It is important for the sign to be bigger than the buildings surrounding it so that they do not go unnoticed. This concept of communicative and symbolic architecture is also visible in Robert Venturi’s ‘duck’ and ‘decorated shed’. The duck shows symbolization where architecture speaks for itself, for example the Crawford Manor where the structure describes the program. The decorated shed on the other hand is described as ugly and ordinary, for example the Guild House where the building is just ornamented to drive