Wynn Las Vegas Magazine by MODERN LUXURY

Wynn - 2014 - Issue 1 - Spring+Summer

Wynn Magazine - Las Vegas

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photography by jeff gale (carpet, sculpture); barbara kraft (main dining room) the restaurant, which encompasses elements of classical Chinese archi- tecture and design within a setting that's fresh, eclectic, and contemporary. Thomas, who designed a majority of the restaurant's components and oversaw the rest—along with Greg Perna, who shared responsibility for design and detail—ensured that references to Chinese history, art, and culture abound. The silhouette of the edge of the valance above the windows recalls the embroidered edges of Chinese textiles, and the silk screens on sliding doors in the dining room (which partition off spaces for private events) are hand-painted in China with gold leaf, referencing traditional Chinese painting. Even the carpet, one of Thomas's designs, is based on the background motif Thomas observed in embroidered Imperial jackets of the Ming Dynasty period. At either side of the front bar sit two sculptures featuring turtlelike characters in Chinese mythol- ogy; they're antiques (which Thomas found at a dealer in Chicago) from the early 19th century. These standout elements, mounted on clear Lucite bases, are actually earthquake sensors—if they start shaking, you don't need to tune in to the local news to figure out what's happening. Gold-tone chrysanthemum wall sculptures in various sizes, done in cast resin, are one of the many elements Thomas personally created just for the space; they add an ebullient touch. Each dining chair has a hand-embroidered floral motif in back. "Flowers are always romantic and signify beauty," says Thomas. "And the way they're done here makes them unexpectedly lighthearted at the same time." On the back of the stools at the bar there's another lighthearted motif: fish, in a fabric Thomas acquired from Clarence House. He also had a large window built into the wall behind the front bar, opening up the space and establishing visual continuity with the panoramic windows in the dining room, which are beautifully set off with new draperies made of gold Lurex and white chenille. The focus is on maximizing the view of the garden out- side and its highlights: century-old pomegranate trees, as well as a large dragon sculpture, which Thomas brought in for the Year of the Dragon celebration in 2012. Thomas has made the space his own by doing what he does best: mas- tering a mix of styles and textures, and balancing old with new. His fresh 70 Wynn DEsIGn sPOTLIGHT Traditional designs on Imperial jackets such as the one shown here inspired the carpet's cloud motif. top right: A dragon sculpture sits in Wing Lei's garden patio. opposite: A canopy of "frog beams" over the main dining room nods to a classic characteristic in Chinese architecture. 068-072_Wynn_FEAT_Design_Spring14.indd 70 5/14/14 2:34 PM

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