March 2019 | Eyesore

Commentary on architectural blunders in monthly serial.

Behold, the new $100,000-per-night hotel suite at The Palms resort in Las Vegas, featuring artworks by the international art-and-design maestro Damien Hirst, plus design motifs by same to liven up the despondency-inducing gray color scheme and the nausea-inducing view of a city that is composed of at least 60 percent surface parking lots. Note the pharmaceutically-themed “stickies” on the plate glass. A few valiums and a roofie sure would adjust my attitude up there. “It’s for people who are looking for one-of-a-kind experiences, or to throw an event, or to show off a bit, or to have the best experience they can have in Vegas,” says Lorenzo Fertitta of Red Rock Resorts, which owns The Palms. Below, one of Mr. Hirst’s signature artworks: bull sharks preserved in a formaldahyde-filled vitrine. Why not just put a floor-to-ceiling mirror there so guests can admire themselves?

Thanks to John Siman for the nomination.