| The Neon Museum Las Vegas

In May 1954, critics argued that the unstable desert soil and high water table of the Las Vegas Valley were incapable of supporting a skyscraper. By April 1955, the Riviera Hotel & Casino opened and proved the skeptics wrong, standing at nine-stories tall—the tallest in Las Vegas until the opening of the Fremont Hotel & Casino in 1956—and laying the foundation for the current skyline of the city.

As Las Vegas’ urbanscape has developed since its founding in 1905, the city has witnessed a surge in construction that has expanded its horizons of luxury, technology, and sustainability. The Strip’s skyscrapers—including the two sculptural 52-story glass towers at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas or the 50-story main tower at the Aria Resort & Casino—are both boldly designed and ecologically minded. The Aria is one of the world’s largest environmentally sustainable urban communities, boasting a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification, which is a globally recognized rating system for sustainable buildings.

Riviera Hotel & Casino

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The Riviera Hotel & Casino opened as Las Vegas’ first skyscraper in 1955, measuring at nine-stories tall. Critics warned that the environment of the city would not sustain a high-rise, but prices of land on the Strip at this time were steep—valued at roughly 1,500 per square-foot—and it seemed like the only way to go was up.
The Riviera featured signage designed by Marge Williams of Federal Sign, who partnered with architect Nikita Zukov to redesign portions of the property. This renovation featured glass wall-mounted signage from Williams, decorated with glowing blue and white stars. Williams’ sign won the top award at the 1991 Electric Sign Design competition held by Signs of the Times Magazine.

The T-Mobile Arena, which holds 20,000 seats and features an expansive glass façade with a sweeping 9,000-square foot LED screen, is also a LEED certified facility.
Highly anticipated projects coming to Las Vegas include the proposed Bally’s Corporation property, which is slated to feature the Oakland Athletics’ baseball stadium on the former site of the Tropicana Hotel & Casino. Additionally, the upcoming Hard Rock Resort—featuring a nearly 700-foot high guitar-shaped hotel—is poised to open in 2027, located on the former site of the Mirage Hotel & Casino. These future projects have publicly pledged their efforts towards environmental sustainability and impactful aesthetics in their respective architectural designs.

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Riviera Hotel & Casino

Riviera Hotel & Casino

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