Parasitic Vertical Upside-Down Casino Latches onto the Hoover Dam

Rather than putting a strip in the middle of the desert, why not take casinos straight to a source of power and water at the Hoover Dam? Architecture graduate <a href="http://stephansobl.com/#1705600/DIPLOMA-VERTICAL-STRIP" target="_blank">Stephan Sobl</a> designed the Vertical Strip for his graduate studies at <a href="http://www.dieangewandte.at/" target="_blank">University of Applied Arts</a> in Vienna while exploring lightweight structures. The upside-down skyscraper is composed of lightweight <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/carbon-fiber">carbon-fiber</a> suspended from a concrete cantilever and wrapped with a shade-providing spiraling metal shell. Latching on to the side of the canyon, the tower is suspended above the Colorado River with views both up and down the canyon and of the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/swooping-hoover-dam-re-design-creates-a-dynamic-space-for-visitors-to-experience-incredible-water-flows/">Hoover Dam</a>.

The conceptual tower would provide a casino, a hotel, a boxing ring and a concert hall with all the same amenities and luxuries as a casino on the Las Vegas strip

Located between the dam and the bypass bridge, the upside down skyscraper is accessible to both cars and pedestrians from the adjoining road.

As told by Sobl, his graduate project was an exploration of "the interplay of opaque massive surfaces capable of incorporating poché and lightweight, fragile structure."

Guests of the hotel and casino arrive via the cantilevered plynth, which holds the main programmatic areas like the lobby, casino, event space and boxing ring.

Entrance area and lobby accessed from the road via the plynth which acts as a bridge to the tower.

The descending tower holds hotel rooms culminating in a dramatic area at the bottom of the tower for ceremonies and special occasions that also includes a high end dining area with glass floors to see the Colorado River below.

Model of the upside down skyscraper for Sobl's graduate thesis.

The tower is composed of three elements: a massive concrete structure building the cantelivar for the hanging tower; a lightweight hanging tower, and a metal shell embracing the structure.

his metal shell provides shading for the rooms inside and encourages natural ventilation throughout the tower.

Parasitic in nature, the Vertical Strip latches on to the canyon right at the source of the power and water, closer than Las Vegas and thus reducing losses through distribution.

The structural supports spiral down to the bottom and are based on gravity.

Various levels are organized according to programs.

Cross sections from the side and from the top.