Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Letter: No need to belittle architect’s critics

Tom Gorman's condescension toward his readers is palpable in his Feb. 17 column on Frank Gehry's design for the Alzheimer's Institute.

He baselessly assigns a flock of supposed bad taste enthusiasms to "these people" who have the temerity to express their opinions strongly, implying that his readers have some horrible inconsistency in their aesthetic judgments. This is not only the worst kind of sophistry; it's downright insulting.

He then goes on to express his (no doubt elevated) judgment about what's "really fine" in Las Vegas. OK, some of us poor shlubs who can't tell a steak from a hamburger also like the Bellagio and those other hotels he mentioned. But, we still feel in our guts that Gehry's design is an insult and an abomination which, should it ever be built, would (we hope sooner rather than later) meet the same fate as all of Las Vegas' useless edifices. You know: Kaboom! Well, it'll look like that from the get-go, won't it?

Tom is, however, correct that the design will be "in a class by itself" (oh, brother, will it!) and that it "will make a compelling, must-see attraction." Yes, just like a multicar smashup on the freeway!

I really feel that he owes all of his readers - not just those who disagree with him - an apology: first, for insulting our intelligence and, second, for wasting so much paper and ink on promoting this design. Deal with it, Tom: It stinks!

Bob Hannah, Henderson

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