Wynn Magazine - Las Vegas
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/314388
T he atrium of Wynn Las Vegas is awash in color and life, one of many land- scapes envisioned by Steve Wynn when he built the resort in 2005. But creating this paradise required feats of engineering and conservation never before attempted, says Don Brinkerhoff of Lifescapes International, Wynn's landscape architects for 27 years. The atrium's near-forest of majestic 50-year-old ficus trees were low- ered in, fully grown, through an opening in the roof by the largest cranes available in the United States, before the roof was sealed. "Mr. Wynn presented us with a vision," says Julie Brinkerhoff-Jacobs, president and CFO of Lifescapes, and Don's daughter. "He wanted people to go inside the property and experi- ence it from that perspective, rather than from the Strip. He wanted people to get lost in the experiences of Wynn from the inside." Thus the team created horticultural vignettes. An enclosed garden with more-than-century- old pomegranate trees romances diners at Wing Lei, for example, while waterfalls, bamboo clusters, and a stately willow tree announce Mizumi restaurant. "That one stands out," says Gary Cramer, Wynn's director of horticulture, "because it's a Japanese garden in the middle of the desert. Our bamboo grove is really happy in there." Its sculpted bonsai and other lush foliage sequester a fabulous waterfall with a glistening koi pond at its base—a transporting experience for all who enter. Gardens in the French, Spanish, and English styles further enhance Wynn's inter- national feel, Cramer adds. Step outside Wynn and Encore, or onto one of the many terraces overlooking the grounds, and you will see Steve Wynn's vision of a land- scape that appears as if it's always been there. Some of it has been around, if not always, at least since the days when the property was the old Desert Inn & Golf Course: Saved dur- ing the resort's construction and then planted back into the landscape were 150 old-spec- imen Aleppo pine trees, some more than 60 years old. Wynn and Encore host a forest's worth of trees, about 2,500, and that's excluding the golf course. Most were hand-selected and brought to this location, where, tended to by Cramer and his team, they could thrive. The old-growth oak trees came from Texas, the magnolias from South Carolina. Other oaks came from Alabama and the pines from California. While other properties along the Strip announce themselves loudly, here you feel sequestered— which is a particular challenge considering the spaceship-shaped Fashion Show mall that rises across the street, built around the same time as Wynn. "It wasn't part of our story," recalls Brinkerhoff-Jacobs, "so my father asked, 'Why don't we just build a 100-foot-high mountain?' Steve said, 'That sounds good to me!' Not too many people will let you build a mountain." n LUSH LIFE Behind the mountain at Wynn and Encore lies a beautiful and natural paradise that shelters guests from the Strip. By JENNIFEr BLOSSOM BACk STOry BACk STOry photography by barbara kraft above: The tallest trees seen here are Aleppo pines, some as old as 60 years, saved from the former Desert Inn. left: The ficus trees in Wynn's atrium were lowered through the roof by enormous cranes during construction. 110 Wynn 110_Wynn_BOB_BackStory_Spring14.indd 110 5/14/14 1:53 PM