Wynn Magazine - Las Vegas
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/225036
DESIGN SPOTLIGHT The Tower Suites Lobby is a grand gathering space that has proven popular for post-convention cocktail hours. A chic vignette in Wynn's Tower Suites Lobby. "In the years since we opened, the market became younger, it became less formal, and more international."—roger thomas 70 PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT MILLER (TOP) G uests of Wynn Resorts can count on several certainties: superlative service, sybaritic experiences, and an ongoing evolution in design. Some of those changes have been huge: Encore's original Stripfacing porte cochère was transformed into Encore Beach Club and Surrender Nightclub, which became a nightlife phenomenon even among a veritable smorgasbord of Strip offerings. Other changes, meanwhile, have been more subtle: A new store may open in Wynn's Retail Esplanade, an art find might beget ideas for the décor of a new restaurant, or a more thoughtful use for space may become apparent. The transformation of the elegant, sophisticated lobby at Wynn's Tower Suites into a more open and accessible area for convivial gathering is very much the product of an everlasting design conversation. That focus on endless evolution stems from Steve Wynn's passionate philosophy of always casting a critical eye on existing spaces, and specifically by ideas that arise from imagining how those spaces should integrate with newly reimagined places—in the case of the Tower Suites Lobby, the high-limit slots area led to the change. "Steve is always alert for opportunity," says Roger Thomas, Executive Vice President of Design for Wynn Design and Development. "He never sees anything as a problem. He sees market change, differences in market share, success or waning success of the space, as opportunity. The Tower Suites Lobby happened because of a perfect storm." Thomas notes that this particular evolution occurred because, while it had originally been designed to offer a sense of private-club exclusivity, Wynn's Tower Suites Lobby instead felt closed off. Meanwhile, other changes were taking place throughout Wynn and Encore: The opening of XS and Surrender at the latter resort meant that a boutique club at Wynn was no longer needed, while the high-limit slots area likewise was attracting a new demographic. Originally designed with the male audience in mind—mahogany and red leather were employed to evoke the look of a men's club—Wynn and Thomas soon learned that women, as well as men, enjoyed using the space, so they struck up a plan: "Steve said, 'If we're going to redesign the high-limit slots area, then let's reinvent it, which WYNN 068-072_Wynn_FEAT_Design_Winter13.indd 70 12/6/13 2:24 PM