The La Concha Lobby located at 770 Las Vegas Blvd is a striking sight. With its undulating roof swinging in dramatic arches from the ground to delicate apexes and large parabola shaped window panels underneath, the structure resembles more of an organic entity than something fabricated by human hands. Comprised entirely of glass and thin shell concrete, the La Concha embodies its seashell namesake in both color and form. The interior of the lobby is akin to the inside of a dome or a big top tent. The curves of the roof fly high into dome of the interior space and the arched windows fill the white space with light during the day. Hanging lamps illuminate the lobby that now serves as the entry to Las Vegas’ Neon Museum. The space still contains a circular front desk and behind it sits a large decorative plaque of the motel’s distinctive logo and name rendered in sparkling Formica and glass. Originally, the motel had a dramatic neon sign with the same logo posted out front. The sign’s sparkling colors and dramatic neon shapes were right at home with the once plentiful instances of googie design along the Las Vegas strip. Now a multitude of signs are housed behind the La Concha lobby in Las Vegas’ Neon Museum, an archive of the art of hand-blown neon signs that hum their harmonic tone above Sin City.
\nGoogie architecture is defined by a commitment to futuristic stylism, bright colors, and the highlighting of materials like concrete and neon. Las Vegas became the home of a multitude of googie commercial structures in the mid-century. The famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign is a piece of googie design, featuring atomic starbursts rendered in bright neon with modern sans serif fonts. The La Concha is a perfect example of googie with its funky shape, bright interior colors, undulating wave forms, and commitment to eye-catching design.
\nThe man who designed the La Concha Motel was even more remarkable than this striking structure. Paul Revere Williams had been educated at the Los Angeles location of the Beaux Arts Institute and went on to contribute his largest body of work to the American West. He served as architect to the stars of his age, designing houses for Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant, and Desi Arnaz among others. He penned many designs for the Las Vegas cityscape in the mid-century, designing the El Morocco Motel and the Royal Nevada Hotel and Casino, and the Guardian Angel Cathedral. Born in 1894, Williams’ was the first African American man to be admitted into the American Institute of Architects. Its been said that he refined the art of sketching upside down so as to not alienate his white customers by sitting on the same side of the table as them. This speaks to his immense skill as a draftsman and the racial prejudice he lived under. Williams spent his life achieving runaway success in his field while advocating for equality for African Americans.
","sponsor":null,"accessinfo":"","lede":"A seashell in the Las Vegas sands, the La Concha Hotel is an iconic instance of googie design from the boundary breaking African American Architect Paul Revere Williams","website":"","related_resources":["Benston, Liz. “Strip Motels Being Demolished.” Las Vegas Sun, December 10, 2003. Accessed May 7, 2025. https://lasvegassun.com/news/2003/dec/10/strip-motels-being-demolished/.
","Hamilton, Mae. “Googie Architecture, Explained: A Guide to L.A.’s Unique and Quirky ’60s-Era Vision of the Future.” Robb Report, May 30, 2024. Acessed May 7, 2025. https://robbreport.com/shelter/gallery/googie-architecture-explained-los-angeles-1235623713/googiearch1/.
","“Janna Ireland on the Architectural Legacy of Paul Revere Williams in Nevada.” Nevada Museum of Art, February 6, 2023. https://www.nevadaart.org/art/exhibitions/janna-ireland-on-the-architectural-legacy-of-paul-revere-williams-in-nevada/.
","Kode, Anna. The Fight to Save Googie, the style of postwar optimism - The New York Times, January 2, 2025. Accessed May 7, 2025. unlocked_article_code=1.tU4.xkqt.hPWwKJADOE5W®ister=email&auth=register-email
","“La Concha Visitor Center.” ModTraveler. Accessed May 7, 2025. https://modtraveler.net/city/las-vegas_84/listing/la-concha-visitors-center/.
","Neon Museum. “La Concha Motel Lobby,” available at https://neonmuseum.org/11710-2/
","Neon Museum. “La Concha Visitor Center,” available at https://neonmuseum.org/la-concha-visitors-center/
","Nevada State Museums. “Paul Revere Williams: Nevada State Museum: Las Vegas.” Nevada State Museum | Las Vegas, February 15, 2023. https://www.lasvegasnvmuseum.org/paul-revere-williams/.
","Nevada State Museums. “Proclamation Names February 18 as Paul Revere Williams Day in Nevada: Nevada State Museum: Las Vegas.” Nevada State Museum | Las Vegas, May 5, 2025. https://www.lasvegasnvmuseum.org/proclamation-names-february-18-as-paul-revere-williams-day-in-nevada/.
","“Williams the Conqueror.” Trojan Family Magazine. Accessed May 7, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20130527154825/http://www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/trojan_family/spring04/williams1.html.
"],"factoids":[],"files":{"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/fullsize/d7c5abe361196ea8b952fa403af98440.jpg":{"id":3955,"mime-type":"image/png","title":"The La Concha in its original location (Photo between 1980-2006)","description":"The dramatic arches of the roof creates shadows in the valleys and add depth to the walls of windows beneath. This dedication to the creation of new and unique architectural forms is indicative of much of Paul Revere William’s work in Las Vegas and indicative of futuristic googie stylism. | Library of Congress, Photo by Carol Highsmith, available at https://www.loc.gov/item/2011631867/","thumbnail":"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/square_thumbnails/d7c5abe361196ea8b952fa403af98440.jpg"},"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/fullsize/cfa085403caf71d565117f80cdd52211.jpg":{"id":3956,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"The glass front doors of the La Concha Lobby at night","description":"Photo taken after it was moved to its new location at the front of the Neon Boneyard to serve as the new entryway to the Neon Museum. Notice how the lighting underneath changes the perception of the shape of the La Concha at night as the petal shapes arch over the camera. | Wikimedia Creative Commons, Photo by user APK, available at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_Concha_Motel_-_Neon_Museum.jpg","thumbnail":"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/square_thumbnails/cfa085403caf71d565117f80cdd52211.jpg"},"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/fullsize/38d7b54f7d9b55d04a0bbd3e41c1cf5b.jpg":{"id":3957,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"The motel’s original neon sign lit up once again as it sits on exhibit at the Neon Museum","description":"The outline of the iconic lobby not only makes for an interesting neon relief, but now also serves as the logo for Las Vegas’ Neon Museum at large as a shining example of the googie aesthetic. | Wikimedia Creative Commons, Photo by user Missvain aka Sarah Stierch, available at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_Concha_sign_-_Stierch_-_Dec_2019.jpg ","thumbnail":"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/square_thumbnails/38d7b54f7d9b55d04a0bbd3e41c1cf5b.jpg"}}}![https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_Concha_Motel_-_Neon_Museum.jpg](\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_Concha_Motel_-_Neon_Museum.jpg\"){kind=link}
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