Roy Horn, 1945-2020

This week we lost Roy Horn of the Las Vegas entertainment team of Siegfried and Roy. He was a victim of Covid-19.

As readers of this blog may remember, Siegfried and Roy provided my office with one of our most interesting architectural opportunities: designing a compound on forty acres they owned on the north side of Las Vegas. We had already been working on a large addition to their Jungle Palace complex for fund raising events and entertainment. In 2003 that project was suddenly brought to a halt when Roy was seriously injured during a performance at the Mirage resort. Roy experienced a stroke on stage; one of their white tigers, Montecore, rescued him and dragged him to safety. According to Roy, the tiger saved his life.

Cabana and pool. 

We heard again from Roy a year later. Facing a lengthy recovery, Roy decided he needed a new retreat on one level and Siegfried wanted to live close by to supervise his care. We designed a series of pavilions clustered around an existing weekend cabin. The compound consisted of a cottage for Roy, another for Siegfried, a commons building for entertainment, and a chapel. All was connected by vine-covered trellises and surrounded by fountains, waterfalls, and a spring-fed lake. Over the years, our work also included a poolside cabana, storage facilities for their stage productions, a ten-car garage and entrance gate, and a wild animal habitat. I mention all of this because when I think of Roy Horn I am flooded with memories of this extraordinary project and the many meetings we had with him and his staff of talented people. It was also an opportunity to work with my friend Mickey Akerman and his team at Amirob Studios who created the interior design themes for the project.

Roy's pavilion with chapel in background. 

Roy was a demanding client, but his creative talents inspired and encouraged the best work from all those who surrounded him. The experience of working with him is something never to be forgotten and never to be repeated. We will miss Roy Horn. The world is diminished without his presence.

Commons pavilion. 

West water feature.  

Chapel bell tower. 

Complex connected with vine-covered trellises and surrounded by water.