20 Famous Skyscrapers That Had Major Structural Flaws

Vdara Hotel & Spa in Las Vegas encountered a solar problem remarkably similar to the one that would later make London’s 20 Fenchurch Street infamous. The hotel’s curved glass façade could concentrate reflected sunlight onto portions of its swimming-pool deck, producing an extremely hot moving zone that guests and local media memorably described as a “death ray.” Las Vegas already experiences intense summer sunlight, so concentrating additional solar energy onto an outdoor recreational area created obvious concerns about guest comfort and safety. The property responded with mitigation measures that included adding large umbrellas and applying window film intended to reduce the intensity of reflected solar radiation. Engineers and operators also had to account for the fact that the affected area moved as the sun changed position throughout the day and across seasons. Vdara remained fully operational, but the episode showed that highly reflective façades can interact with curved architecture in ways that conventional calculations may underestimate.