A few months ago I visited Las Vegas for the fourth time. Not much has changed: it’s still a battleground of corporate brands vying for attention. Want to buy a Prada bag in Venice, see a Michael Jackson hologram concert, or try one of Taco Bell’s new Cantina Margaritas? Architecture supports this function by playing a different role than normal: rather than being an end in itself, it serves to attract, capture and contain its subjects and, in turn, separate them from their dollars, turning public space into a scenery. In Las Vegas, the workers are the background dancers and you are the star of the show.

Perched high above the murky moat in my castle at The Excalibur Hotel and sporting a fresh cup of coffee and a laptop open to various digitals