LAS VEGAS MUSEUM OF POP ART LAS VEGAS MUSEUM OF POP ART
by
JEFFERSON SCOTT NEAVES
A THESIS IN ARCHITECTURE
Submitted to the Architecture Faculty of the College of Architecture of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment for the Degree of
BAC|IELO^ OF;^Aj^(piI^CTURE
Programming Instructor (Arch 4395): M. Peters Design Critic (Arch 4631): M. Peters
Accepted
Dean, College of Architecture-'^—'^May, 1995 to TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface iii Thesis Statement 2 Thesis Vehicle 3 Context 4
THESIS RESEARCH
Thesis Research/Synthesis Pop Culture 6 Pop Art 9 Mass Production 11 Pop Culture Reality 12 Pop Architecture 14
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS
Natural Context Geography 21 Climate 21 Cultural and Psychological Context Las Vegas History 23 Built Context Accessibility 28 Parking 29 Noise Control 30 Topography 30 View 2\ POP ART MUSEUM ANALYSIS
Goals of a Museum 34 Evolution of the Museum 35
Activity Analysis The Public 40 The Administration 46
Space Summary The Public 55 The Administration 56
Cost Analysis Initial Project Cost 59
SELECTED REFERENCES 61 List of Figures
Cover: Lichtenstein Figure 1 Lichtenstein 6 Figure 2 Warhol 6 Figure 3 Warhol 9 Figure 4 Lichtenstein 10 Figure 5 Lichtenstein 10 Figure 6 Warhol 10 Figure 7 Warhol 11 Figure 8 Home Magazine 12 Figure 9 Self 13 Figure 10 Venturi 14 Figure 11 Graham 14 Figure 12 Rudofsky 15 Figure 13 Hurlimann 16 Figure 14 Currimbhoy 17 Figure 15 Venturi 17 Figure 16 Venturi 19 Figure 17 Venturi 21 Figure 18 Donaldson 22 Figure 19 Associated Press 23 Figure 20 Venturi 23 Figure 21 Stratton 24 Figure 22 Carlson Travel Net 24 Figure 23 Stratton 25 Figure 24 Stratton 26 Figure 25 Stratton 27 Figure 26 Venturi 28 Figure 27 Venturi 29 Figure 28 Venturi 30 Figure 29: Moneo 33
Figure 30 Moneo 33 Figure 31 Venturi 34 Figure 32 Matthews 41 Figure 33 Matthews 42 Figure 34 Matthews 42 Figure 35 Matthews 43 Figure 36 Matthews 43 Figure 37 Matthews 44 Figure 38 Matthews 45 Figure 39 Matthews 46 Figure 40 Matthews 49 Figure 41 Matthews 49 Figure 42 Matthews 50 Figure 43 Matthews 50 Preface. Architecture should play an active role in the public's eye, and help elevate life's daily routines. One could choose not to listen to music, view the arts, or read books, but it is very difficult to not experience the built environment. (This being '^ the case, the general public should have an idea and understand what it is that architects create. In doing so, architecture should stem its design from forms that people can identify with, and recognize, so that the patron is not confussed so badly that they do not wish to further investigate the building. However, the goal of architecture is not to become staginate and boring because of a limited amount of references, or a facade oriented design. Forms and spaces can be avant garde with inherent derived meanings drawn from the past.
Thesis Statement:
The diversity and specialization of the American public, causes the need for architectural semiotics. Architecture has to take design beyond its facade and continue its meaning into the building so that people are able to interact with the built environment. The dualism of appearance and reality of past work, and its influence in the evolution of future design is most significant to create a complete architecture. The desired architecture is one that tells a story of the past in which popular cultures' frame of reference identifies with, and one that elevates life's everyday routines. It becomes a combination of low culture and high culture, low design, and high design, where the distinction between the two worlds become less apparent, and architecture is brought to new heights. Thesis Vehicle.
The vehicle chosen for this thesis is a Las Vegas Museum of Pop Art. The design of the museum will reflect the various sides of American Pop Culture, and the developing attitudes of new museum design. In reflecting Pop Culture, a casino will be located in the museum, along with symbolic images through out the facility that the public will recognize. Because of the strategic nature of its location, the museum will become a landmark, that will act as an icon for the city and its people. Context. Today the greater Las Vegas metropolitian area is growing at a rate of 3000 to 4000 a month. The area is projected to continue growing at this rate far into the next decade. With this amount of growth, the city is feeling growing pains of not having enough civic buildings to accommodate their citizens. A local taxi driver said, "it appears the entire city of Las Vegas is under construction." That is because most of it is, with the building of its new civic center, convention center, libraries, shopping and resturants. Las Vegas is the capitol of the united States for gambling. With the amount of gambling available here, people come from all parts of the country and the world to participate. Las Vegas is a model city with references to popular culture. Because of this, it will be the location of the Pop Art Museum. The site is an urban setting in downtown Las Vegas on a twenty four hour corner, linking the old and new parts of the city and its pop culture. THESIS RESEARCH/SYNTHESIS THESLS RESEARCH /SYNTHESIS
Pop Culture.
In the past 25 years, the interest in popular culture has grown among scholars, and the general public alike. Why are intellectuals concerning themselves with a subject as ordinary as pop culture? According to Charles Ingle, pop culture is the most revealing index of the character and nature of a society. Popular culture is what man does for fulfillment in his leisure time, not for survival, but for pure enjoyment. In this play time, man can be seen in his best, and truest state. Norman Cantor and Michael Werthman tell us in reference to man's play time that "history is described what men have done and are Figure 1: White Brushstroke #1, 1965. doing with their capabilities ... it measures human potentiality Lichtenstein. not by showing what man can be forced to do, but by demonstrating what he can do when left to his own devices, free to follow the inclinations of his mind and spirit.(Cantor and Werthman, p xxi-xxii)" In essence, popular culture shows who Americans really are, and therefore, the study of pop culture is a device to better understand our environment and ourselves.
Popular culture is the best mirror in which to view our society as a whole. By Cantor and Werthman's definition of popular culture, "Man's culture is the complex of all he knows, all he possesses, and all he does. His laws and religious beliefs, his art and morals, his customs and ideas are the content of his culture ... And cutting across cultural and subcultural boundaries is the fundamental distinction between work and play: between what is done of necessity and what is done by choice. (Cantor and Werthman, pxxi-xxii)" From this.
Figure 2; Elvis 1 and II, 1964. Warhol. popular culture can be identified with all that man does in his free time for his own sake, in which he is in pursuit of pleasure, excitement, beauty, and fulfillment.
In the act of fulfillment, Americans tend to prefer either high culture, or low culture. By this, high culture makes a distinction of its exclusiveness in its style, and content. Often it is desired to be complexed and intricate, with its main purpose to push the limits and above all, be original, for original's sake. Ingel believes that the purpose of high culture is to validate the experience of the individual. "Creation is a purely aesthetic act in pursuit of truth and beauty, and, that being so, therefore self-justifying. (Ingle p xxi)"
Popular culture, or low culture is concerned with being comprehensive or relevant to a large part of the population in its style and content. It wishes to reflect the group or society in it's creative outlet. "The patterns tend to be highly formulaic, occasionally with a different twist for surprise effect but nothing radical to disturb expectations. Situations and moral dilemmas are often oversimplified so that no mistake can be made about right and wrong, and complex questions are made easy by clarifying them in terms of standard theological categories. (Ingel p xxvii)"
American pop culture includes the mass media, film, advertising, art, comic books, and literature. In recent years, popular literature has grown into its own category and is not usually included in general pop culture, therefore, this thesis will not discuss literature at any length. All areas of pop culture stem from entertainment, and consumerism. The entertainment industry is one of the leading businesses in the United States today generating billions of dollars every week in movie sales alone. American people obviously find this important, and as Herbert Gans explains our society has the desire to "spend free time, if such exists, in ways that diverge from their work routine. Therefore, every society must provide art, entertainment, and information for its members.(Gans p 67)" In doing so, people may look to themselves or professional trained creators to fulfill this need. Gans continues by saying that "society's art, information, and entertainment do not develop in a vacuum; they must meet standards of form and substance which grow out of the values of the society and the needs and characteristics of its members.(Gans p 67)"
The Schletden Schwann Cell theory proved Spontaneous Generation wrong in 1858, therefore it is probably safe to say that art in a vacuum is not possible nor appropriate. This thinking lends itself to the belief that things are derived from past objects. Charles Peirce believes that the "ideal first" does not exist. "That is, there is no thing which is in-itself in the sense of not being relative to the mind, though things which are relative to the mind doubtless are, apart from that relation.(Peirce p 311)" therefore: the building should continue the evolution of previous successful buildings, so that it is recognizable in its building type, and creates a sense of place with in its time and place. therefore: the building should reflect commercialism/consumerism of todays standard. Pop Art.
American Pop Art is based on this principle, in which all work is a direct reference of previous work or experiences.
^V^•' ;i;i-' "The art of the past has always contained a certain amount of deliberate quotation or references to specific works by previous artists, but it is among Pop artists that we find such an unqualified appropriation.(Russell p 11)" The art suggests symbols that we recognize and find in pop culture, so that it becomes a new art and makes a statement that people can decode. All of Pop Art is based on some form of previous experience and design. "The original art work may be used merely as another common object, made familiar through reproductions, in the everyday environment. That is to say, it has become part of a common language understood by everybody.(Russell p 12)" It is important to the Pop Artists, that the individual's work, is not detectable, but that it is a true reflection of the culture. This'reflects a new attitude about art, as it is now seen for the general public and not for just the privileged.
According to Suzi Gablik the concerns of Pop Art are: 1.) the break down of the conventions of the picture plane and the use of three-dimensional extensions into the surrounding space, incorporating elements of the actual environment, 2.) the substitution of industrial techniques and materials for oil paints and a pre-occupation with man-made objects as far removed Figure 3: Marilyn, 1964. Warhol. from nature as possible, 3.) the erosion of a previously established hierarchy of subject matter, and the expansion of art's frame of reference to include elements considered until now as outside its range, such as technology, kitsch, and humor, 4.) the move away from the private mythologies of Surrealism and the interior monologues of Abstract- expressionism to a more extroverted and subject matter associated with the urban environment and 5.) a greater mobility and flexibility towards art in general, whereby every art situation is more total and inclusive of the simultaneous levels which occur in actual experience.(Gablik p 9).
therefore: because this is a building to house pop art the design should abstractly represent the ideas found in pop art/pop culture: in exploring the everyday objects. using space differently, 3-D extensions into surrounding space (architecturally), incorporating actual environments, Figure 4: Girl in Mirror, 1964. Lichtenstein. substitute industrial techniques and materials, using man made objects far removed from nature, combine the high and the low.
Figure 5: Magnifying Glass, 1964. Lichtenstein. Figure 6: Flowers, 1966. Warhol. 10 Mass Production.
With the development of technology and the machine, the industrial revolution made it possible for information to travel at higher speeds than previously known. The industrial revolution is the source of mass production, giving way for Americans to see the nation as a more complete whole. This is when the seeds of popular culture were planted, with the introduction of the printing press, history, art, and literature are among the American public. Mass production had great influence on popular culture, popular art, and on architecture.
Before the printing press, people knew of only two types of architecture. The two are folk (vernacular or traditional), and academic high art. High art architecture was the only one that was formally carried out by design. Vernacular architecture was "carried in the collective consciousness of the culture.(Russell p 81)" As the industrial revolution brought about the printing press, it also gave the building industry more flexibility, and availability. Common architecture or the vernacular was changed with its production methods. "Building materials and even entire buildings are Figure 7: Cambell Soup Can, 1964. Warhol. produced on a mass scale by a team or teams of specialists who are generally far removed from the ultimate consumer.(Russell p81)"
Architectural styles are communicated through two methods. One way of architectural communication is to visit different sites of good architecture. The other way of being architecturally informed is to view it in books. At this time, fsm books like Cottage Residences and The Architecture of VVOF KING BLUEPRINTS FOR HOUSES \0U CAN BUILD Country Houses by Andrew Jackson Downing became very influential to the public. Books like these appeared, and with their details and design, allowed anyone with skills or money to HOME PLANS update their house, or have their dream home. Pop Culture Reality.
Today this method of architecture is still a popular one with the help of magazines, film, and advertising. Supermarkets across the country display home, and do-it-your self magazines in the checkout lines. Through mass production, a larger part of society begins to view architecture MASTERFUL DETAILING ADDS RICHNESS TO A TIMELESS DESIGN with this medium of the magazine. Is this a complete view of PLAN 4060 iPlftft IMWlLl LIVll (I art and architecture, or what the readers perceive it to be? I' Pnmnl witiilMM;. *!-«! -iijtni; wiih hmk t'nh.ii)i.riiii-i)K. .mil ;ii: aiihitl r-nirvu.n witll <.it)i>ntl.i The reality of the what the picture contains, is the fixed view of the object and thus revealing only part of the work. In the two dimensional representation, phenomenon, the way things appear is viewed in contrast to noumena, things as they are in themselves, apart from how they appear. German philosopher Immanuel Kant believed that things in themselves are unknowable thus our knowledge is limited to appearances or phenomena. However, Charles Peirce rejects this dualism, believing that "our acquaintance with the appearances of things provides us with a more or less reliable basis for knowing things themselves.(Peirce p 312)" The Pop Art and Post Modem in architecture found this to be true during a time of homogeneity, therefore all work has a reference to past work. Figure 9: Cinema II, 1965. Self. 13 LAS VEGAS Pop Architecture. "rra BtO ftlON - LinX£ BUll-OmO In the nature of the Pop Art and Post Modern work, the subject of the latter work becomes facade oriented and the idea of mere recognition from the surface became a legitimate justification, of design. Like pop culture, and pop art, popular architecture has links to the past, with a desire to stay in fashion. However, unlike pop art, architecture cannot solely be °na / taken out of the past. New ideas and orginal forms must be BUILOiHQ tS SlON developed to continue the evolution of architectural design. If this does not happen, the general public will loose interest and the design of architecture will fade away like American Pop art SPACE- SCALE • SPEED SYMBOL has in recent years. Figure 10: Drawing and Analysis for Las Vegas research, 1968. Venturi, Ranch, Scott Brown. The decorated shed and duck analysis of Robert Venturi, are good examples of how society identifies with the built environment. Venturi tells us how a simple building can be recognized to have a particular purpose when the viewers associate elements of its facade to preestablished ideas. He gives an example of how large columns on the front of a building create the image of a bank in the publics' eye. No matter what the actual building i.s like, with certain signs and symbols derived from past experience, the public identifies images with meanings. However, after an accumulation of this type of design, the character and spirit that makes buildings great architecture, will be lost, and the interaction of people and built environment will again be no longer. Figure 11: Video Projection Outside of Home, 1978. Graham. 14 Venturi is considered a leader in pop architecture, however, true popular architecture began before architects and their modem movement. Architecture of the people began when the common person built their own house, or the shopkeeper built his shop. In 1964, the Museum of Modern Art in New York exhibited vernacular, non-formal, non classified architecture, collected by Bernard Rudofsk. In his book. Architecture Without Architects, he introduces the unfamiliar world of nonpedigreed architecture. This architecture dates back to the middle ages, where the vernacular building was carved out of the ground, or built along a hill. Towns Hke Apanomeria and the West Pakistan district of Sind are examples of how man formed his built environment in harmony with the natural environment, and his neighbor. Man was in direct relation with his surrounding, forcing his design to work with the topography and hot weather. With this, his house took form in the local vernacular, and had inherent meaning in its design.(Rudofsky, p 58,115) Local vernacular becomes the style the public can associate with because it has patterns in which the designs are based. Patterns are important in vernacular as well as public building, because they are what keep the building types recognizable, giving a certain amount of consistency in the Figure 12: Apanomeria, 1920. Rudofsky. built environment. Christopher Alexander, author of The Timeless Way of Building, feels that people learn to see patterns, and from there are what we build, live, and create from, no matter how the pattems vary. "These patterns in our minds are, more or less, mental images of the patterns in the world: they are abstract representations of the very morphological rules which define the patterns of the world. (Alexander, p 181)" A good pattern is desirable and can help solve problems. For example, in farming a hillside, a series of terraces is necessary for successful plant growing. The pattern informs the farmer of two things: how to farm the land, and how to construct the terrace. The system of patterns help form a language that can be used by all farmers. Patterns like this help make life easier, because one doesn't have to start from ground zero and rediscover everything on his own. Alexander compares pattern language to the English language, where there are set of elements, words, and a set of rules that describe different arrangement of words into sentences. "The meaning of the sentence comes from the network of connections among the words. (Alexander pi85)" Like the English language, the pattern language is a complexed system that allows its u.sers "to create an infinite variety of those three dimensional combinations of patterns which we call buildings, gardens, towns. (Alexander p 186)" Barn architecture follows this kind of pattern, in that the farmer knows what it is he needs to his particular barn, but accepts the way pop barn architecture is constructed. The farmer is able to chose what parts of common designs that need change, in order that he builds his ideal barn. Along with the concept of patterns, the success of popular architecture of this time, can be found in the fact that the farmer and the people of West Pakistan built their own houses. Being that they were directly involved in the design, naturally payed special attention to detail and therefore gave meaning to their home. Figure 13: Hyderabad Sind. Hurlimann. Today it is inconceivable that people are going to hand craft their home and create pop architecture in this sense. However, \( architects can use the concept of patterns and their own ideas to incorporate meaningful design into all types of architecture, giving it's particular building type roots to grow. Presently, the world has many situations different than those of pedestrian Italian hilltowns. Our architecture for the people is not always up to par for allowing architecture to communicate to them. The pop artists wanted to elevate the everyday object and make it a work of art. It is not possible to elevate the everyday building and make it architecture. However, we are capable to elevate the everyday signs, symbols, and parts of the ordinary building so that people inherently relate to their present day pop architecture. With this interaction, pop architecture will become great architecture. therefore: the building should present everyday signs, and symbols in ways that people recognize and relate to, so that these patterns help elevate the architectural design. Figure 14: Bombay Collection. 1992. Currimbhoy. Figure 15: Bil-Ding Board, National Football Hall of Fame 17 Conclusion. Because of the diversity and specialization of the American public, architectural semiotics is a must in todays built environment. The architecture has to take design beyond facade architecture and continue its meaning into the building so that people can interact with the building. The dualism of appearance and reality of past work, and its influence in the evolution of future design is most significant to create a complete architecture. An architecture that tells a story of the past in which the popular cultures' frame of reference identifies with, and one that elevates life's everyday routines. It becomes a combination of low culture and high culture, low design and high design, where the distinction between the two worlds becomes less apparent, and architecture is brought to new heights. issues: 1.) continue the evolution of previous successful buildings, so that it is recognizable in its building type, and creates a sense of place with in its time and place. 2.) reflect commercialism/consumerism of todays standard. 3.) abstractly represent the ideas found in pop art/pop culture 4.) present everyday signs, and symbols in ways that people recognize and relate to, so that these patterns help elevate the architectural design. \ ©^ Figure 16: Precedents of Suburban Symbols, 1970. Venturi. CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS CONTEXTUAT. ANAT.YSTS Las Vegas, Nevada. Natural Context Geography. Las Vegas is located in a valley along the south east comer of Nevada. The city is almost surrounded by mountains ranging from 2,000 to 10,000 feet higher than the floor of the valley. The Las Vegas Valley comprises about 600 square miles running from northwest to southeast, and slopes upward on each side toward the surrounding mountains. Climate. Las Vegas is situated in a hot arid region on the latitudes of 36 and 5 degrees north and longitude of 115 and 10 degrees west. Temperatures for the valley, are extremely hot in the summer months, where it usually reaches over 100 F degrees during the day, and drops to the 70 F degree range at night. In the spring and fall, the temperature is the most ideal, with temperatures in the mid 70's during the day and 50's at night. The Las Vegas winters hold daily temperatures in the 50's with 30 degree range at night. The Las Vegas Valley is surrounded by mountains. The Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Spring Mountains are the two major ranges in the area. The Spring Mountains rise to elevations over 10,000 feet above the valley floor, acting as a barrier to moisture moving eastward FigLirel7: Las Vegas Strip. Venturi. from the Pacific Ocean. Because of this, the Las Vegas area enjoys very few rainy days during the year. Rainy days average less than one in June to three every month during the winter. Annually, Las Vegas has 312 days of sun shine, with relative low humidity, around 20 percent. The wind blows in a southwesterly direction at an average of 9.3 miles per hour. therefore: in response to the very hot summer temperatures, proper building orientation will be desired, the west, south, east walls, and roof will want avoid direct summer sun. this can be accomplished with the use of overhangs, and other sun shading devices placed in accordance to sun angles of the region. In addition to this, an environmental control system will be incorporated into the building. Figure 18: It Won't Be Long Now, 1964. Donald.son. 22 ^' •-',:-»'•:'•--' - Cultural and Psychological Context Las Vegas: a true city of the west The city of Las Vegas is relatively young in comparison to most other cities. The city began in May of 1905, when the Los Angeles and Salt Lake railroad (now the Union Pacific) decided to place tracks through Las Vegas and the southwest. Las Vegas has the reputation of being an oasis for desert travelers, however, it is only in the 20th century that people could call Las Vegas home and form a town. Before then. Las Vegas, was just a resting stop or a place people tried to cultivate, but failed, most speculate, because of the extreme weather conditions. Figure 19: Las Vegas Strip Looking South. Associated Press. The earliest indication of civilization in Southern Nevada is around the year 2500 B.C. when primitive nomadic Indians settled the area. Years later, Archaic Indians scattered throughout Southern Nevada living there for about 2000 years until the Anasazis arrived. The most known of the Indian setflers are the Paiutes, migrating from northern Nevada. These people were less sophisticated than the previous land dwellers, yet the Paiutes did try to cultivate the land and hunt the available game. Like the other people that made an attempt to settle this harsh environment, the Paiutes left as the Mormons, the first white settlers, came to the area in 1855. The Salt Lake City Mormons, only remained for three years, mMk^ptm^^''''^M before returning to Utah. JSBTf igure 20: Las Vegas Strip Looking North. Venturi. 23 Las Vegas and Beyond The land was abandon until the railroad came, making Las Vegas a stopping point on the route to the west coast. Las Vegas, however, remained a tent city until gambling was « \ ' NLVADA )^. legalized in the year 1931. With the legalizing of gambling came the development of Fremont Street, where all the city's action happened. The area is known as Glitter Gulch where the frontier atmosphere remains, and most of Las Vegas history is found in this area. This early Las Vegas, was comprised of hotel/casinos, the city's first modern movie theatre, and bars. Up until now, Fremont street played host to many city events, like numerous parades, and New Years parties. As the downtown area of Fremont Street was being Figure 21: Map, Las Vegas and Beyond. Stratton. developed, in 1941, a Califomian, Thomas Hull, built the first hotel/casino, two miles south of town, on the old Los Angeles high way. This hotel was called El Rancho. Along with two other hotels, this area known as the strip began to take shape, in the image of the Old West. Not long there after, in 1946, Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel built the famous Flamingo Hotel/Casino. With its tangerine, magenta, pink, and fuchsia facade of neon lights, this hotel changed the city's direction of hotel image. The desired look went from the Wild West to a look of an exotic, eccentric desert oasis. Las Vegas Gambling. Carlson Travel Network. 24 Today, Las Vegas is a twenty four hour city, that brings in tourists from all over the world. The city is the nations' leader in the amount of guest rooms it contains, with over 82,000 rooms. During the year 1990, 20 million people visited the desert oasis. Its estimated that by the year 2000, Las Vegas will have 115,000 hotel rooms and attract 29 million visitors, that will generate 17 billion dollars annually in gaming re venue. (Stratton, pi 7) In keeping up with the boom in the tourist market, the downtown casino district, has elected to enclose Fremont Street, so that it will be more marketable to the out of town visitor. The Four block stretch between the "historic" casinos will be complete on Labor Day of 1995. Intersecting the historic casino downtown district, is Las Vegas Boulevard, or "the strip". The Strip area south of Sahara Avenue becomes densely populated with casino/hotels and advertisements in the form of neon signs and billboards. The advertisements are along the street and on the walls of the buildings. The typical building becomes facade oriented because the facade acts both as a wall and as an advertising sign for the casino inside. Las Vegas boulevard can be developed for miles south of the city, but with the enclosure of Fremont Street, the area between Sahara Avenue and Fremont Street, will be desired land in which to build. Las Vegas has a very western sense about it for the following reasons: (1) the city is in the desert, (2) it is relatively young and is still developing, (3) the city is traveler oriented, and, (4) the serious gamblers, like the gold rushers, are waiting to find gold at the blackjack table. Figure 23: Map, Greater Las Vegas. Stratton. In this development, some major landmarks, nodes, paths and edges of the city must be noted: Landmarks: Glitter Gluch Central Business District Main Street Tower The Strip Casinos Las Vegas Convention Center Nodes: McCarran International Airport Las Vegas Convention Center Casinos Paths: Las Vegas Boulevard (The Strip) Fremont Street Sahara Avenue Charleston Boulevard Edges: Las Vegas Expressway (Hwy 95) Hwy 15 Union Pacific Railroad Tracks Maryland Parkway McCarran International Airport Districts: Glitter Gultch CBD The Strip Cashman Field Figure 24: Map, Strip Area. Stratton. 26 therefore: respond to the enclosing of Fremont Street in a way that the public still wants to be apart of the experience, the enclosing allows the downtown casinos to become a stronger unified district, it also preserves the old casinos and the street becomes a museum in itself, this allows for one of the issues involved in pop art - of extending the work into the environment - an outlet in the architectural design. incorporate the history of the old downtown into the new development, the history of a place that is rooted on the frontier old west feel that incorporated the neon lights to keep up with the consumerism of the strip. Figure 25: Map, Downtown Las Vegas. Stratton. 27 Built Context Site Analysis. The site is located on the south west corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street. The enclosing of Fremont Street will end, and include this site. Around the site, are many casinos, banks, and retail/convenience stores. This area is one of the main tourists attractions, and heavily populated by local business people of Las Vegas. therefore: reference the use of signage found in western cities, and along the casino districts, reference the scale of the surrounding buildings and street scapes that are used to attract people. Accessibility. The site has three available significant access areas; one is on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard, and Carson Street. This area is a prime location for people driving into the downtown. The second location of access is located on the corner of Carson Street, and Fourth Street. The people working in the Central Business District are able to walk or drive to this point of access, with out having to access Las Vegas Boulevard. The third available access point is to the pedestrians along Fremont Street. This area of Fremont Street will be Figure 26: Signs in Las Vegas. Venturi. 28 accessible to pedestrian only, and will become a place of gathering. The streets surrounding the site are unique in themselves. The major street is the two way, four lane plus o tuming lane of Las Vegas Boulevard on the east side. The i^ 0) second of importance is the new pedestrian street that is (Q •4-' therefore: orient the site's automobile activities toward the corner of Carson and Fourth, leaving the pedestrian activities along Fremont. The building should recognize that the facade facing Las Vegas Boulevard will be the most seen. M(3® The Fremont and Fourth facade will be the next highly f^ln.J<^^^J CD O '»«w fitn^u visible to the public. o w 5 Is; Parking. c Parking in Las Vegas is a great necessity. The Central ill Business District has a great deal of parking, consisting of metered parking along the streets, and parking garages, near many of the businesses and casinos. Across the street on Figure 27: Study of the Las Vegas Sign. Venturi. Fourth are two parking garages and public parking on the 29 ground. This is not enough parking for the new Fremont Street, and the additional building. --> therefore: more spaces are to be addressed for parking purposes, the building will include structured parking. Noise Control. The site is in a very busy part of town. With twenty four hour casinos near by and dense traffic along Las Vegas Boulevard, and soon to be Fourth, noise has a potential of being a problem. The museum area will need to have quiet zones in itself, while the market will need to be provide a controlled amount of noise so it does not add to the task of shopping. therefore: wall barriers, landscaping, and trees can reduce the amount of noise that comes with the outside elements. Topography. The site is a downtown city block, and is relative flat. In order to make the museum an inviting experience for all patrons, the entrance at street level is desired, in order to feel that it is a continuation of the street. This allows the museum of the every day art to be available to all people. therefore: use the flat topography to its advantage of it being a Figure 28: Signs in Las Vegas. Venturi. transitional ease from the street to the building. 30 View. The view of the casinos along Fremont street are the most impressive around the site. This can be seen in the downtown casino district looking west from Las Vegas Boulevard. therefore: create the building massing so that the impressive view from Las Vegas Boulevard is available to the public. Conclusion. L) take precautions against direct summer sun. 2.) take advantage of the museum with in a museum of fremont street as part of the pop art museum. 3.) incorporate las vegas history of the old west and its facade buildings into the world of pop art and architecture. 31 POP ART MUSEUM ANALYSIS The diversity and specialization of the American public, causes the need for architectural semiotics. Architecture has to take design beyond its facade and continue its meaning into the building so that people are able to interact with the built environment. The dualism of appearance and reality of past work, and its influence in the evolution of future design is most significant to create a complete architecture. The desired architecture is one that tells a story of the past in which popular cultures' frame of reference identifies with, and one that elevates life's everyday routines. It becomes a combination of low culture and high culture, low design, and high design, where the distinction between the two worlds become less apparent, and architecture is brought to new heights. POP ART MUSEUM ANALYSTS American Pop Art is changing with the times, but the essence of the art type is found in the 1960's. The work of the 1960's is now dated and a museum to house the early work is appropriate. In keeping with the nature of the American Pop Art, the museum should feel as open and inviting as possible, so that the patrons view it as art for the public. Even though the desired feel is not to be of a museum, the facility is a place to hold and display art, therefore, a study of the museum building type is necessary. Before museums came about, art work was owned by individuals, and on display in their home was the only means of exhibit known. The museum became a place to house art for the general public to take part in. According to Joan Darragh and James Snyder, the building type dates back to the late eighteenth century. When the first museum open to the public was the Capitoline Museum in Figure 29: Davis Museum and Cultural Center, 1993. Moneo. Figure 30: Davis Museum and Cultural Center, 1993. Moneo. Rome open in 1734. "Perhaps the most influential source of museum architecture in the nineteenth century was J. L. Durand's design for an art museum published in Precis des lecons d' architecture (1802-05).(Darragh, Snyder, p7)" In this Durrand included monumental stairs, an open rotunda with galleries opening off it, an central courtyards. Because of the desires of the early American Pop artists to develop an art out of the everyday and ordinary for the public, the facility type will not be a common museum. Rather, it will be a multi use museum, so that it will incorporate more of the general public. Pop Art focused its attention on the consumer, and popular culture. Pop artists believed that happenings are one means of relating art more to daily experience. Claes Oldenburg spoke for many of the artists saying: "I'd like to get away from the notion of a work of art as something outside of experience, something that is located in museums, something that is terribly precious ... I don't think the notion of the detached work of art - this aristocratic work of art - is a very useful notion any more.(Russell p 17)" For many artists in the 1950's and 1960's the street was their museum, and felt that is had to be in the public since they created art for the people. In the past two decades, American museums have seen a rise in attention from the general public. During the 1970's through the 1990's, more museum space has been designed and built than ever before in North America.(Vonier, p 26). With the increase of expanding museums, comes the increase of expanding design ideas. The goal of museums have changed in recent years to become more of an educational institution, Figure 31: Sainsbury Wing, The National Gallery in rather than a large pretentious display area of art work. "The London, 1991. Venturi. Scott Brown. fundamental social, functional, an institutional characteristics 34 of museums have changed and are continuing to change. (Vonier, p27)" Museums are no longer places primarily for contemplation of objects. They are places for work, leaming, studying, and socializing. Moreover, museums advertise and sell themselves by throwing regular parties, and renting their halls for events sponsored by others. (Vonier. p27). Josep Montaner, author of The New Museum, tell us that contemporary museums are becoming cultural complexes, that house more than just exhibits. The new museums are places of learning, and teaching. The museum now includes art schools, libraries, auditoriums, restaurants, and shops. Montaner suggests four design approaches to a museum in a metropolitan context: 1.) As a high technology container, precisely designed, neutral cuboid enclosing and defining interior spaces of flexibility. 2.) To articulate all these diverse elements more clearly. though still within a unified whole. 3.) Make use of an area of the old city, with the rehabilitation of exhibition galleries, cultural institution and so on. 4.) Make use of great landscaped complexes consisting of scattered historic building. Therefore bridging the gap between the old and new parts of city design and attitudes about museums. ^^ The National Research Center for the Arts on Museum USA states that the purpose of museums are to: 1.) Provide educational experience for the public. 2.) Conserve the culture and or scientific heritage. 3.) Interpret the past or present to the public. 4.) Provide entertainment. 5.) Provide aesthetic experiences for the public. 6.) Encourage positive social change. With the various requirements of the modern day museums, many architects are having a dilemma in deciding how much of the historical museum building type should be referenced for new designs. Many notable architects have referred to public museums as western society's contemporary cathedrals. "The setting serves to sanctify that which it contains and stmggles to provide continuity in an age of discontinuity.(Vonier, p27)" In keeping with the evolution of museum design, select architects and museum curators discussed ideas of the new museum and its architecture. One of the panelists, Hugh Hardy believes that many of the traditional architectural solutions are now inoperative. Design qualities like giant flights of stairs and great long axes are not always called for in current solutions. The amount of natural lighting is a concern in many art museums being built today. However, what does carry over from the past museum architecture, Robert Geddes describes as the museum's architectural "character and spirit. (Knox, p 37)" The building becomes more of an expressive form in itself than in previous times. Museum building types focus on the dual nature of architecture, in that it dramatizes "the inherent tension 36 between the needs of the user and the desire of the architect for and aesthetic statement. The challenge is how to bring together the art of architecture and the art of art. (Darragh, Snyder p 9)" The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles is a recent example of a forward museum design with timeless qualities. The facility has a ceremonial gateway to the entrance, that announces its presence among the multi-use neighborhood it calls home. The design reflects the impact the neighborhood context has on this patricular location. The architect, Arata Isozaki, uses a preestablished vista, that had to be kept, to his advantage. The design appears to be two buildings connected by a sculpture garden. On further investigation, the viewer sees that a great deal of the museum is under ground. With this, Isozaki is able to work within the constraints of the exterior height requirements, and give the large works of art enough room to be adequately displayed. Most of the gallery space is partially under grade, therefore, Isozaki uses natural lighting from above. He incorporates clerestory lighting and highly advanced skylights, that use a layering system of glass to diffuse the sun rays. In combining the art and architecture, the interior has a minimum amount of surface treatment. Architecturally, the galleries are concemed with geometry and lighting, so that the art takes center stage. One of the characters given to museums is its sense of flexible establishment. A museum is a unique building, in that it is designed for one occupant residing 50 to ICX) years in that one building. In that time period, "any institution today is obviously going to be different 50 or 75 years from now. An architect has to be able to create a building that can adapt and at the same time have a strong identity. (Knox, 37)" 37 The Art Gallery of Ontario shows how the hodgepodge evolution of an old, but growing museum is able to keep its gallery space interesting by providing spaces that vary in volume. For the latest addition, the architectural firm of Barton Myers designed the new wing that helps tie the entire building together. The addition is built in such a way that it abstractly represents the surrounding context and character of the area. The design contains a tower, something that all major buildings in Ontario have, and a long barrel vault. Both elements are visible for the public so that the building is more recognizable, and the museum becomes a familiar object on the urban scape . therefore: the museum should be an educational tool for the public, in a public environment. the museum should provide an entertaining and aesthetic experience for its patrons. the facility should incorporate a hierarchy of spaces for orientation ease, and for patrons interest and encourage their participation. 38 ACTIVITY ANALYSIS ACTIVITY ANALYSTS The museum activities can be categorized into activities of the two different groups of users that the facility will have. The two groups of users will be die public and the administration. The Public. The reason for a museum of this type to exists, is so the public can participate in the exhibit of the art. The exhibits are to provide entertainment to the museums visitors. The visitors consist of Las Vegas citizens and tourists in the age groups of students, middle aged, and elderly. therefore: Because the museum is to serve the public, much care should be given to the public spaces so that patrons are comfortable in this environment. Arrival. Arriving is the act of reaching a desired destination. Many arrive by cars, busses, trolly, bicycle, or foot. The area around the museum should give a sense of presence, and tell the visitor that they have arrived. The first impression is the most important and happens here. 40 therefore; Public the entrance is to be a very welcoming area for visitors entrance to congregate, in making this area a desirable place, a Lecture precession of light controlling/shading devices need to be theatre introduced for and inviting entry, and to help the visitors eyes Lobby Cloaks adjust to the interior, a security guard should be stationed I inside the entrance. Ofdce/ Information Office Workfoooi Enquiries Shoo Store (Library) Space Analysis; 1 security guard, entry - n.s.f -150 s.f. Entrance {out of museum hours) lobby - n.s.f -1600 s.f Orientation/ Exhibit areas Orientation. Orientation is the act of being directed. In a museum, orientation is needed to help welcome visitors and assist them in finding areas that they might be interested in. Information therefore: Education an orientation area is needs to be located at the entry Public services point of the museum, with a receptionist to assist guests. Research and library Space Analysis; Associated activities 1 receptionist. Information desk - n.s.f. 400 s.f Figure 32: Space Relations. Matthews. 41 Pacing. Pacing is the way a visitor moves through an exhibit area. The speed of pacing depends on who and how many people are in his party. therefore: provide enough space in exhibit hall to let people with a fast pace pass slower paced visitors. Participating and Observing. After pacing the exhibits, participating begins when visitors have located the part of the exhibit that they are interested in. Because this usually means that they would like to study this topic more in depth, more time is spent talking amongst each other or with a tour guide. Investigating and interaction takes place here, by touching, reading, looking, and talking. therefore: because most activities will be of observing and Figure 33: Sight Line Studies. Matthews. reading information, provide enough space so that several people can view the same information at once, ease X I circulation flow by allowing the visitor to pass through the exhibit only once. \ \ Space Analysis; \ \ \ 3 8 tour guides, 1 main gallery - n.s.f - 35,000 s.f. / 1 rotating gallery - n.s.f. - 4,000 s.f. / / 3 auxiliary galleries - n.s.f. - 4,050 s.f. - 1 P' / !"re34: Sight Line Studies. Matthews. 42 Resting. Resting is an act to reduce fatigue. After an hour many people are tired of standing and participating. The visitor needs to sit and rejuvenate himself so he can finish the exhibit. therefore: include resting areas throughout the exhibit halls so that the visitor can reflect on what he has observed, public restrooms are to be located here. Space Analysis; restrooms - n.s.f. • 600 s.f. Figure 35: Sight Line Studies. Matthews. Gambling. Gambling is an act that many people of American Pop culture involve themselves in. It is a sport that takes ones mind f qp f off life's problems. Gambling can be considered a form of rest, T because the gambler is participating in another form of activity <9^ than what is going on in the museum. 1 i therefore: provide a casino in the museum where the visitor 2200 mm would get tired, this is usually 45 to 60 minutes into the visit, 1400 mm (1 600 mm min.) (1000 mm mm.I the casino will provide entertainment for the tired patron and generate money for the museum. T JL 1.5>t' 2800 mm 1.5K' (x'min.) (2000 mm mm.) |y'mm.| Figure 36: Sight Line Studies. Matthews. 43 GQGQGQI^ Space Analysis; 25 dealers, -aaaaooQ- 4 cashiers, 3 bartenders, ^aaaaaa- casino - n.s.f - 5,000 s.f bar area - n.s.f. - 300 s.f QQaaaQQ 8.0 m Learning. Learning is an act of acquiring knowledge, by participating and observing. In a contemporary museum, QQQaQQQ- learning comes from the exhibit area and also from workshops, lectures and social interaction. AVf- I ^UGH P therefore: Table provide separate spaces like workrooms, auditoriums, and libraries for visitors to participate in workshops, lectures, and socializing. 5.4 m Space Analysis; 2 workrooms - n.s.f. - 800 s.f 1 auditorium for 150 seats, n.s.f - 2000 s.f 1 lecture hall for 30 seats, n.s.f - 400 s.f 1 librarian 1 library - n.s.f -1,200 .s.f 700 - 850mm Figure 37: Auditorium Seating Recommendations. Matthews. 44 ¥7¥ Eating. Eating is important for visitors to feel comfortable and ^ n allows them to socially interact. ^5 =^ therefore: mm a restaurant and dining area can provide visitors and (a) museum employees a common place to relax and socialize. ' ^ . Space Analysis; 6 restaurant - 75 seating, n.s.f. -1,125 s.f q D 3 kitchen - n.s.f. - 800 s.f. J c public restroom - n.s.f - 400 s.f. 0 7 —) Shopping. c D Visitors usually like to take something home with them c 5 ^J to help remember the things they have seen and the places they n ' have been. Because a museum has so many interesting things (b) in it to remember, a gift shop allows visitors to have their own interesting items.. therefore: provide an area for a gift shop so that it is accessible iii_a. to museum visitors and the public, because the gift shop will generate funds for the museum, it needs to be in a prominent location, and comfortable atmosphere for the customer so he will buy. TTTT 1.2 - 2.0 m u u Space Analysis; n n 1 gift shop - 20 visitors, n n n.s.f - 650 s.f U U ^_' u u 0.75 - 1.8 m 0.75 -1.8m Figure 38: Libraiy Planning Examples. Matthe vvs. 45 Administration. Loan out and disposal Acquisition The purpose of the administration is to make the museum operate smoothly. The museum administrative team includes a director, management team, public relations staff, Loading | Unloading Packing , Unpacking museum specialists, technical staff, administrative and clerical staff, security/warding staff; and ancillary staff. The following activities of the different groups make the daily business of the Inspection museum function: Closed Receiving. storage/ Labelling, Workshop Conservation open-access marking and measuring A receiving area will ensure that the access to the storage r administrative offices is limited. People allowed into the office area are employees and significant visitors only. ^--^ Exhibition '• "^j Photography [-*- Data collection J -"I I therefore: the administrative office area entrance should be set apart from the public entrance, a reception desk will be placed in the entry area, where the receptionist will admit visitors and oversee out and incoming mail and faxes. Space Analysis; 1 receptionist, n.s.f. -100 s.f. 4 secretaries, n.s.f. - 320 s.f. H Exhibitions 1 Collections services 1Conservatio n 1 1 Directing. Collections management 1 The museum director is the highest official in the H museum. The rest of the museum must follow the lead of the director. Included in his job, are attending meetings with museum workers, making presentations, meeting with outside Figure 39: Administration Space Relations. Matthews. donors, and overseeing traveling exhibits. The assistant director is there to help him or to fill in for him in busy times. For convenience, the director and assistant director's office should be located in close proximity to each other, also in direct relation with other significant administrative offices. such as the business manager, public relation officer, curator, exhibit designers, and secretaries. therefore: the director office should be located among the other important administrative offices of the museum, however, privacy is needed for the director so that outside interruptions are not a problem. Space Analysis; museum director, n.s.f. - 160 s.f. assistant director, n.s.f. -160 s.f. Managing. The business manager has the responsibility of over seeing the financial matters of the museum. He is responsible for purchasing the objects that make up the exhibits, keeping financial reports, dispatching museum pay roll, and oversees the budget. It is necessary that the director has direct contact with the business manager, so that he can stay abreast of the museums standing. therefore: the business manager's office needs to be located in close proximity to the museum director and secretaries. Space Analysis; 1 business manager, n.s.f. -120 s.f. 47 Public Relational Duties. The public relations staff is concemed with getting the museum's name and what it has to offer out to the public. Included in this task is advertising, organizing guided tours, arranging educational programs, overseeing the museums speakers series. The public relation officer works closely with the director in preparing the museums focus towards the public. therefore: the public relation officer's office needs to be located in close proximity to the museum director, secretaries, and the public areas. Space Analysis; 1 public relations officer, n.s.f. -120 s.f. 1 assistant, n.s.f. - 40 s.f. Museum Specialists. Museum specialists include the curator and his staff. The curator is responsible for arranging and coordinating objects on display. Curators and staff work with technicians and designers, so that the exhibit it properly displayed. therefore: the offices of the curators, assistant curators, technicians, and designers should be adjacent to one another, the group of offices need direct access to the public exhibit spaces, the service area, and the preparation shop. Space Analysis; 1 chief curator - n.s.f. - 200 s.f 48 2 curators - n.s.f. - 300 s.f. Administrative Meeting. The administrative officers will meet on a regular basis "h^ T n n n n • r of every Monday in order to maintain the museums business D ^^ ^ schedule. D 4.2 m \^ therefore: u u u u provide a conference room for the staff to meet and discuss various topics, this room will also be the room to meet groups of outside visitors/donors that are at the museum Y on business, video equipment will be necessary in the 5.4 m conference room. Figure 40: Conference Room Planning Example. Matthews. Space Analysis; seating 15 people, n.s.f. 400 s.f Cataloguing. Cataloguing is the process of identifying, collecting, and restoring the artifacts of the museum. It is done by the curator and the assistant curator. After the artifacts have been identified, the registrar will record the artifacts in the museums registrar. 7.6 mi Incoming Outgoing mail: mail: sorting franking, therefore: pre-sortinc provide a room for artifacts to be identified and rxJi; restored, this should be close to the storage area and should ^ grjE":-^ include an area for clean up. Space Analysis; registrar office - n.s.f. • 250 s.f file room - n.s.f • 80 s.f. 5.0 m Figure 41: Filing Room Planning Example. Matthews. 49 High Angles Cause Shadows / 30' Is About Right / ' Exhibiting. Exhibiting is the process of arranging the exhibit for public interaction. This process involves the museum's designer, and technician. The designer is responsible for preparing and designing the graphical presentation of the exhibit performances. The technician assists the designer in the construction and maintenance of the design. Both parties need direct access to the preparation shop and service areas in order that they execute the exhibit design. therefore: Figure 42: Ideal Lighting Angles for Art. Matthews. the offices of the designer and technician need to be adjacent to one another. The preparation area and shop need roo.i LEGEND to be in direct access to the two offices. soo-j ^ UNFILTERED - DIRECT .^^° Space Analysis; •• FILTERED WITM H uF-3 FILTER .^^' 1 chief designer - n.s.f. - 200 s.f. 1—1 REFLECTION FROM 1 ' SINGLE MIRROR WALL 2 designers - n.s.f. - 300 s.f. pm REFLECTION FROM 1 chief technician • n.s.f. - 200 s.f. Kfl SINGLE WHITE WALL kr° _- REFLECTION FROM 2 technicians - n.s.f. - 300 s.f. PI WHITE WALLS. CEILING. AND FLOOR B- t I =£ i Exhibit Preparation. The preparation shop is the place where the objects being displayed are taken out of the crates that they are stored in and prepped before going on exhibit. The preparation shop requires a large area so that it can accommodate framing, and FL 0250 I20ER SKY OPEN WINDOW WINDOW WINDOW WINDOW ZENITH WINDOW WITM WITH WITH WITH GLASS GLASS GLASS UF-3 mounting of many pieces. i UF-3 SUN AND SKY LIGHT REFLECTED SKY LIGHT ONLY (BY MEANS OF BAFFLE) Figure 43: Amounts of Illumination. Matthews. 30 footcandles metal, stone, glass, ceramics, therefore: stained glass, jewelry, enamel the preparation shop should have direct access to the storage areas and the public exhibit areas, noise control 15 footcandles oil and tempera paintings, un- between the exhibit area and the shop is a concern. dyed leather, horn, bone, ivory, Space Analysis; wood, lacquer preparation shop - n.s.f 800 s.f. 5 footcandles textiles, watercolors, tapestries, Storing. prints and drawings, manu scripts, miniatures, paintings in Many artifacts are always in storage for long periods of distemper, wallpapers, gouache, time, because the museum has only so much space, and has dyed leather certain schedules to adhere to. Because of this for ease of the museum management, a good filing system is desired, so that each artifact is accounted for. The storage area should have direct access between the loading and receiving area and the preparation shop. therefore: provide a space large enough to accommodate large amounts of artifacts, and locate it near the loading and receiving and preparation area. Space Analysis; exhibit storage - n.s.f. 11,000 s.f Loading and Receiving. Loading and receiving is responsible for all services coming into or leaving the museum. It must contain a loading dock that can accommodate large trucks with exhibit objects to be loaded or unloaded. The curator will supervise the shipping and receiving of the artifacts while a designated staff member will look after general receiving. 51 therefore: the loading dock needs to be large enough for the loading and unloading of entire exhibits, with the loading dock, a small office needs to be included so that incoming articles can be promptly received, the loading dock needs to be in direct access to the exhibit storage area. Space Analysis; loading and receiving area - n.s.f. - 400 s.f. Cleaning and Maintaining. It is important that the museum stays clean for smooth operation of its staff and patrons. Housekeeping and maintenance have a very large responsibility to the museum. Tasks like theirs will occur after the museum closes, so that patrons are not in their way, and they are not obstructing the patrons view of artwork. therefore: provide an office that will serve as a central meeting point for the janitors and maintenance supervisor, throughout the building, provide janitors closets for cleaning ease. Space Analysis; maintenance supervisor - n.s.f. -150 s.f. maintenance assistant - n.s.f. - ISO s.f. janitorial storage - n.s.f. - 200 s.f. 52 Security. For proper protection of the art on exhibit, security guards are needed. Guards will be in every room or will need to be stationed between two smaller rooms. Security guards will need to be at every entrance and exit. therefore: provide a security booth with a monitor room. Space Analysis; security booth - n.s.f. -150 s.f. monitor room - n.s.f. -100 s.f. Parking The museum is located in a busy downtown area where parking is mainly in parking garages. The museum will have to have a parking garage. Security lighting and handicap parking spaces will be provided. therefore: the parking garage can be located underground, so that parking will not obstruct the view of the museum and the buildings of downtown. Space Analysis; parking - 75 spaces for cars n.s.f. - 24,375 s.f. parking - 3 spaces for buses n.s.f - 2,700s.f 53 SPACE SUMMARY K f I: SPACE SUMMARY The Public. Entry 150 s.f. Lobby 1,600 s.f. Information desk 400 s.f. Main Gallery 35,000 s.f. Rotating Gallery 4,000 s. f. Auxiliary Galleries (3) 4,050 s.f. Restrooms 600 s.f. Casino 5,000 s.f. Bar 300 s.f. Workrooms (2) 800 s.f. Auditorium 2,000 s.f. Lecture Hall 400 s.f. Library 1,200 s.f. Restaurant 1,125 s.f. Kitchen 800 s.f. Restrooms 400 s.f. Gift Shop 650 s.f. SilhlQlaL 58.475 s.f. Total net area 58,475 s.f. Circulation (58,475x0.25) 14,618s.f. Mechanical rr5R.475+14.6181x0.05 3.654 s.f. Gross Square Footage 76,747 s.f. 55 The Administration. DEPARTMENT: ADMINISTRATIVE Receptionist 100 s.f. Secretaries (4) 320 s.f. Director 160 s.f. Assistant Director 160 s.f. Business Manager 120 s.f. Public Relations Officer 120 s.f. Assistant P.R. Officer 40 s.f. Conference Room 400 s.f. Subtotal: 1.420 s.f. DEPARTMENT: CURATORIAL Chief Curator 200 s.f. Assistant Curator (2) 300 s.f. Registrar 250 s.f. File Room 80 s.f. Exhibit Designer 200 s.f. Assistant Designer (2) 300 s.f. Chief Technician 200 s.f. Assistant Technician (2) 300 s.f. Preparation Shop 800 s.f. Exhibit Storage 11,000 s.f. Loading/Receiving 400 s.f. Subtotal: 14.030 S.f. 56 DEPARTMENT: OPERATIONS Maintenance Supervisor 150 s.f. Maintenance Assistant 150 s.f. Janitorial Storage 200 s.f. Security Booth 150 s.f. Monitor Room 100 s.f. Subtotal: 450 s.f. Total Net Area of all Department 15,900 s.f. Circulation (15,900x0.25) 3,975 s.f. Mechanical rn5.900 +3.9751 x 0.051 994 s.f. Gross Square Footage 20,869 s.f. Total Net Area for Administration and Public 74.375 s.f. Gross Square Footage (Public) 76,747 s.f. Gross Square Footage rAHministrationl . 20.869 S,f. Total Gross Square Footage 97,616 s.f. 57 COST ANALYSIS COST ANAT.YSTS INITIAL PROJECT CO.ST Total Gross Area Qf the building 97.616 s.f. Building cost 97,616 s.f. @ $90.00/s.f. $8,785,440. Land value @ 16 % of building cost S1.405.670. Site development @ 15% of building cost $1,317,816. Fees and Permit @ 15% of building cost $1,317,816. Construction loan @ 11 % of building cost $966,398. Contingency cost @ 5% of building cost $439,272. Architects fee @ 8% Qf building cost S7Q2.835. Total Project Cost 514,935.247. 59 SELECTED REFERENCES Selected References Alexander, Christopher. The Timeless Way of Building. New York: Oxford University Press, 1979. Arthur, Paul and Passini, Romedi. Wayfinding. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1992. Brawne, Michael. The New Museum. New York: Frederick Praeger, Publishers, 1965. Cantor, Norman and Werthman Michael. The History of Popular Culture. New York: MacMillan Publishing, 1968. Colapietro, Vincent. Glossary of Semiotics. New York: Parragon House, 1993. Eco, Umberto. "Function and Sign: The Semiotics of Architecture," in Signs, Symbols, and Architecture, ed. by G. Broadbent, R. Bunt, and C. Jencks. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1980. Gans, Herbert. Popular Culture and High Culture. New York: Basic Books, Inc, 1974. Ingle, Thomas. Handbook of American Popular Culture 2nd £d- New York: Greenwood Press, 1989. Knox, B. "Working Together: The Museum and the Architect." Museum News. May/June 1988. Matthews, Geoffrey. Museums and Art Galleries: A Design and Development Guide. Oxford: Butterworth Architecture, 1991 Panofsky, Erwin. Perspective as Symbolic Form. Trans by Christopher S. Wood. New York: Zone Books, 1991. Peirce, Charles. Collected Papers of Charles Sanders Peirce, ed. By Arthur Burks. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 1958. Rudofsky, Bernard. Architecture Without Architects. New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc, 1964. Russell, John and Gablik, Suzi. Pop Art Redefined. New York: Frederick Praeger, 1969. Venturi, Robert and Scott Brown, Denise and Izenour, Steven. Learning From Las Vegas. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1977. Summary: The task of designing with an architectural semiotics in the context of American Pop Culture was both open and challenging. The city of Las Vegas is one of the most open minded communities towards new things. The challenges lie in the fact that I am dealing with the everyday and ordinary symbols and people, in a way that they became extraordinary. In order to accomplish this, I look towards the built context of the city and its city planning. The significant thing to note about the city planning is that the entertainment district (downtown Fremont Street and Las Vegas Boulevard) is shifted approximately 30 degrees north east from the rest of the city, where the common citizens reside. This way of defining the roles - extraordinary versus ordinary- becomes a major design element in the solution to the museum. Within this shift, the service is in the alley that lies parallel to Fremont Street. This brought about an interesting idea that the alley is an everyday space, in the utilitarian sense, yet it lies in the parallel line with Fremont Street, making it extraordinary. The alley then becomes a major focal point in the design, and forms the entrance and great hall of the museum where the alley and the 30 degree shift, or everyday promenade intersect. Because the everyday and extraordinary are equally important in this design, the 30 degree shift lends itself in creating a structural grid based on equilateral triangles. The structural system becomes a steel frame construction, a type found in average warehouses in which Pop Art was originally created in. The design emphasizes the commercialization of the Las Vegas context. The city is famous for its signage and the replacement of these signs when the next fad arrives. The museum takes on a layered look with the bright colored and neon infested signs that are on the exterior and interior facades. The exterior signage is counter balanced with the standing seam metal exterior walls, that reinforces the "Butler building grunge look goes to Hollywood" or the "Cinderella Building Type." With the commercialization comes the importance of the building's corners and the possibility of advertising on them. A rental space that is on the corner is always the most expensive in Las Vegas, and being that this is Pop Culture, we vote with our dollar, so obviously, in today's market, this is an important part of the building, or lot. This is greatly displayed on the most significant corner, Fremont and Las Vegas - the Strip with the use of large signs and large walls of glass, in order to let the people inside advertise the museum. The other corner on Fourth and Carson forms the tip of the education wing with a large marquee belonging to the movie theater twenty feet east to grab the public's attention. The remaining two corners of the site are left to form public plazas for bands, actors, artists, show girls and their audiences to gather and capture the passerby. The main challenge in the project is the idea of extraordinary and ordinary being equal in quality. In design, 1 feel that hierarchy is important so that it may form a clear way of thinking for the architect in which it carries over and enables him to provide a direct path for the user. The main element in the Pop Art Museum is "The Alley" space. The elongated axis of the everyday with its "lifeguard stand" images is desired to be equal to the alley, yet not in the same sense that it over powers the patron. Spending the semester in the "Typical Vulgar American" mind set was a learning experience, hard work, and a lot of fun! I especially enjoyed working with my advisors Rumiko Handa, Dudley Thompson, and instructor Mike Peters. I know it wouldn't have been as fun with out you all. 1 also must thank my brother Matt, for coming at the drop of a hat and making 42 wire trees in the past two years, and learning the life long skill of mixing magenta and orange to paint model bases. I should thank my other brother Doug for understanding "help me by not touching a thing - I'll see you in a week!" The Las Vegas Museum of Pop Art is complete and I have to go pack!