La Concha Motel Sign in the Neon Museum of Las Vegas
M. K. Doumani opened the La Concha Motel on the Las Vegas Strip in 1961. The motel was designed by architect Paul Williams, who was one of the first prominent African American architects in the United States. The motel lobby was a futuristic structure made of thin-shell concrete and glass, creating a striking, shell-like shape with large, soaring arches. The shell shape was a direct reference to the motel's name, "La Concha," which means "the shell" in Spanish, and was designed to attract the attention of travelers on the highway.
When it opened, the La Concha was one of the larger properties on the Las Vegas Strip. Various celebrities stayed at the motel, including Ronald Reagan, Ann-Margret, Flip Wilson, Muhammad Ali, and The Carpenters. The La Concha was featured in the 1995 film “Casino.”
Despite the motel's success, Doumani planned to replace it with a boutique hotel that would include condominiums and shopping, which he said would be a better use of the land. In late 2003, it was announced that La Concha would be closed and demolished to make room for the new project.
Though the motel was demolished in 2004, the lobby was saved and relocated to The Neon Museum, where it was restored. It now serves as the visitor center, preserving a key example of Williams' work and Las Vegas architectural history. The museum also saved part of the hotel sign, which uses both argon and neon to create its colors. It was designed by the Young Electric Sign Company.
[Source: Wikipedia]
La Concha Motel Sign in the Neon Museum of Las Vegas
M. K. Doumani opened the La Concha Motel on the Las Vegas Strip in 1961. The motel was designed by architect Paul Williams, who was one of the first prominent African American architects in the United States. The motel lobby was a futuristic structure made of thin-shell concrete and glass, creating a striking, shell-like shape with large, soaring arches. The shell shape was a direct reference to the motel's name, "La Concha," which means "the shell" in Spanish, and was designed to attract the attention of travelers on the highway.
When it opened, the La Concha was one of the larger properties on the Las Vegas Strip. Various celebrities stayed at the motel, including Ronald Reagan, Ann-Margret, Flip Wilson, Muhammad Ali, and The Carpenters. The La Concha was featured in the 1995 film “Casino.”
Despite the motel's success, Doumani planned to replace it with a boutique hotel that would include condominiums and shopping, which he said would be a better use of the land. In late 2003, it was announced that La Concha would be closed and demolished to make room for the new project.
Though the motel was demolished in 2004, the lobby was saved and relocated to The Neon Museum, where it was restored. It now serves as the visitor center, preserving a key example of Williams' work and Las Vegas architectural history. The museum also saved part of the hotel sign, which uses both argon and neon to create its colors. It was designed by the Young Electric Sign Company.
[Source: Wikipedia]