flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

It's official: Norman Foster-designed Harmon hotel and casino to be razed due to structural issues

It's official: Norman Foster-designed Harmon hotel and casino to be razed due to structural issues

Construction of the Las Vegas tower was halted in 2008 after experts discovered faulty steel beams in the structure. Now its owner, MGM, has received permission to demolish the building. 


By BD+C Staff | May 9, 2014
Photo: Vrysxy via Wikimedia Common
Photo: Vrysxy via Wikimedia Common

The long and controversial tale of the Harmon hotel and casino is over: MGM Resorts International has received permission to demolish the tower, Dezeen reports.

The court ruling comes in the midst of the debate between owner MGM and developer Tutor Perini, which has been waged over who is at fault for the building's failure.

Construction of the resort was halted after experts discovered faulty steel beams in the structure. They determined that the beams would not stand up to an earthquake.

Elizabeth Gonzalez, a Clark County District judge, has ordered lawyers on either side to collect outstanding evidence, in effect paving the way for demolition. The demolition will involve the complex being taken apart floor by floor, at a cost of $11.5 million.

Foster + Partners designed the Harmon, which broke ground in 2006. The structural issues were discovered two years into construction.

Some history on the project via Wikipedia:

In late 2008, work on the Harmon Hotel/Condo Tower was stopped after inspectors discovered construction defects: county inspectors discovered improper installation by Pacific Coast Steel, of critical steel reinforcements (rebar) after 15 stories of the building had already been erected.

The error caused a major change in the building's design; instead of being 49 stories, it was reduced to 28 stories with the condominium element, The Harmon Residences removed entirely. At the time, 88 of the 207 condominiums were reserved by buyers who had put 20 percent down. Those buyers were offered refunds or the option to buy in other buildings. 

Related Stories

Senior Living Design | Sep 8, 2022

What’s new with AQ: The top trends in active adult living

Today's 55-or-better buyers are ready to design their lives and their homes as they see fit. With so much growth on tap, builders and developers must stay apprised of trends related to home, environment, and culture of 55+ communities.

Sports and Recreational Facilities | Sep 8, 2022

Chicago Bears unveil preliminary master plan for suburban stadium district

As the 2022 NFL season kicks off, the league’s original franchise is fortifying plans to leave its landmark lakefront stadium for a multi-billion-dollar mixed-use stadium district in northwest suburban Arlington Heights.

| Sep 8, 2022

The Twin Cities’ LGBTQ health clinic moves into a new and improved facility

For more than 50 years, Family Tree Clinic has provided reproductive and sexual health services to underserved populations—from part of an old schoolhouse, until recently.

| Sep 8, 2022

U.S. construction costs expected to rise 14% year over year by close of 2022

Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis (CBRE) is forecasting a 14.1% year-on-year increase in U.S. construction costs by the close of 2022.

Giants 400 | Sep 7, 2022

Top 95 Industrial Sector Architecture + AE Firms for 2022

Ware Malcomb, Stantec, Haskell, and Macgregor Associates Architects top the ranking of the nation's largest industrial facility sector architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

| Sep 7, 2022

Use of GBCI building performance tools rapidly expanding

More than seven billion square feet of project space is now being tracked using Green Business Certification Inc.’s (GBCI’s) Arc performance platform.

| Sep 7, 2022

K-8 school will help students learn by conducting expeditions in their own communities

In August, SHP, an architecture, design, and engineering firm, broke ground on the new Peck Expeditionary Learning School in Greensboro, N.C. Guilford County Schools, one of the country’s 50 largest school districts, tapped SHP based on its track record of educational design.

| Sep 6, 2022

Herbert V. Kohler, Jr. (1939-2022) An incomparable spirit

Dynamic leader and Kohler Co. Executive Chairman Herbert Vollrath Kohler, Jr. passed away on September 3, 2022, in Kohler, Wisconsin.

| Sep 6, 2022

Demand for flexible workspace reaches all-time high

Demand for flexible workspace including coworking options has never been higher, according to a survey from Yardi Kube, a space management software provider that is part of Yardi Systems.

| Sep 2, 2022

Converting office buildings to apartments is cheaper, greener than building new

Converting office buildings to apartments is cheaper and greener than tearing down old office properties and building new residential buildings.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021