Paradise Misplaced: More about Xanadu

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A really bad conception of what the Xanadu might have looked like at the corner of Trop and the Strip

Comic book fans are familiar with an old series that asked a different "What if?" question each month.... for example, what if the Justice League were evil and the Legion of Doom were good? In twenty-four pages, the author would sketch an alternative reality based on this question. It is still a popular comic book device today.

This doesn't have much to do with casino design, but digging into the Strip's past does raise some interesting questions. If you have any "answers" or want to suggest questions of your own, post to the guestbook.

What if...

-the Xanadu had actually been built? Where would the Excalibur, Luxor, and Mandalay Bay have gone, if anywhere?

-the builders had based their theme on Hieronymus Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights instead?

-buffet/nightclub/movie theaters had become Vegas's next big thing?

-Steve Wynn had built this design instead of the Mirage in 1989?

-casinos in the 1990s, instead of being themed around "exotic" places, were themed around poems? Can you imagine the "Ancient Mariner Seafood Restaurant" or "Dante's Steakhouse?"

-the 1980 Olivia Newton-John film vehicle had given this project a second wind?

-someone decided to build the Xanadu today? Would it be successful?

-there was a hall of fame for failed casinos?

-the 1980 Olivia Newton-John film vehicle had given this project a second wind?

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