Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Cirque Decor? A New Look?

Parasol Bar Wynn Hotel; photo credit: jochibi

I just returned from Las Vegas last week. Had so much fun! One highlight was Cirque du Soleil's, LOVE. Amazing. A "must see" if you go to Vegas.

The other highlight, or shall I say, huge inspiration, was a visit to the Wynn Hotel. It got me thinking, is there possibly a new look for decor that we could call "Cirque?"


Upon entering the hotel, I had no idea of the whimsy that was awaiting me. From floating parasols to a lake of dreams, The Wynn was a treasure! This photo above is from the registration area of the hotel. Amazing tall rock crystal bird table lamps graced the counters with a circus-themed painted mural behind them.

Wynn's inspiration; 1932 Picasso painting Le Rêve

Steve Wynn, a casino/real estate developer, has been credited starting the dramatic resurgence and expansion of the Vegas strip in the 1990s. His companies built some famous resorts in Vegas such as the The Mirage, Treasure Island, Bellagio, Wynn and Encore.

The Parasol Bar; photo credit: cabayarea

Here's what Roger Thomas, Executive of Wynn design had to say about the Parasol installation in the Wynn: “Very early on in the resort’s design and conception, Steve gave me an assignment: His initial inspiration was the 1932 Picasso painting Le Rêve, which is French for ‘the dream.' And so he asked me, ‘How do we convey the feeling of a dream?’ Parasols are among the images I find very dreamlike—I think of Chagall and of people floating in the sky, carrying mini parasols over their heads—so I liked the idea of this ballet of parasols that both turn slowly and move up and down slowly. I often think of guests sitting at Parasol Up; they look at the parasols, and when they look back a few minutes later, they think, Have they changed? Am I dreaming?”


“I came up with their design, the whimsical shapes and colors and embroideries, by closing myself up in a room and large sheets of paper, and I put on Vivaldi and just started drawing these fanciful shapes. They took more than a year to create, and we constructed them here, just outside of Las Vegas. Ultimately I’m thrilled that they’ve become such an iconic element of the resort; they were meant to be a heart of Wynn, with a sort of pulse and movement. One of my favorite things to do is to stand off to the side and watch the reactions of our guests—they always seem entranced, and that’s really fulfilling.”

photo credit: mailgirl333

Yummy candy-colored parasols! The colors are magical at night!

photo credit: catnipmusic

Amazing colorful mosaic flooring throughout the hotel...


The Wynn Hotel reminded me a lot of the historic Cirque Room in the Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco. The Cirque Room was the first bar to open in San Francisco following prohibition. It was decorated by architect Tim Pflueger in a beautiful Art Deco style with an incredible bar, and murals by the celebrated Bruton sisters. Before the Venetian Room was opened, the Cirque was the place to go for entertainment in San Francisco.

Having fun in Fairmont's Cirque Room...

Blush Lounge Wynn Hotel - photo credit: stars4esther

The Blush Lounge at the Wynn features a ceiling hung with 300 lanterns that change colors. Amazing.

Blush Lounge Wynn Hotel - photo credit: stars4esther


The Wynn Buffet

I wish I had brought my camera with me. Some of these photos are from my cell phone. Oh well. I had to share this photo of The Buffet at the Wynn. An Alice in Wonderland-evoking atrium styled with towers of fruit flowers and foliage and even some natural light. Insanely beautiful in person!

photo credit: CourtneyMay

I found the photo above on Flickr. The cabanas near the pool are very circus-like. Unfortunately the pool isn't open during the winter. But, how cute, right?

We took a little walk over to Wynn's newest hotel, The Encore. These glass peacocks
are at the entrance to the High-Limit Baccarat room. Woah!

The peacocks are created out of cast glass, with their eyes crafted in jade. Their tails are crafted out of open-work metal, accented by hundreds of Swarovski crystals that were then lit from beneath to give the tails a wonderful glow.

And finally, the Wynn Theatre at the Encore. The rotunda outside The Wynn Theater has 39 crystal-encrusted butterflies hanging from the ceiling that are covered with 8 million multi-colored gems. Unbelievable.

I love the fact that Steve Wynn thought 'out of the box' and came up with a whimsical theme like none other. Not modern. Not Hollywood Regency. Not make believe Paris. Just circus-themed whimsy. Refreshing for a change.

The Wynn Hotels just blew me away.

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