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Design icon Roger Thomas on his three favorite spaces at Wynn

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As the lead designer for Wynn Resorts, Roger Thomas is responsible for some of the most sumptuous spaces on the Strip—and beyond.
Photo: Adam Shane

At first, Roger Thomas says choosing his favorite spaces and places at Wynn is like a parent choosing favorite children. But then he realizes, “My favorite room is always the last one I did.” Soon, SW Steakhouse will be the spot, the next big renovation project at the now 10-year-old property. But for now, here’s Thomas on his three current faves, all recently redone.

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      Wing Lei

      “When thinking about a restaurant, I think about what’s going on the table, and in this room it’s the very best of classic Chinese cuisine. So we looked at classic Chinese architecture. For some reason, the whole world was right in the 16th century, including the Ming Dynasty in Asia. They had perfected the frog beam, called that because it resembles the hind legs of the frog. So in the seven years between the restaurant opening and me rethinking Wing Lei, the level of formality in restaurants had completely changed, and now everyone wants to walk into a party. What makes me want to walk into a space is a series of arches. It just beckons me: What’s down there? So we created this series of wide, white arches through the room, our 21st-century version of the frog beam.”

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      The Wedding Salons

      “We all want second chances. We all want do-overs. In the Wedding Salons, we had learned a lot about who the customer was. Fashion changes, and so do the ways brides want their weddings. I had created a room before in all warm, blush tones, a little pink and light terra-cotta and peach and creamy white—various colors of wedding bouquets. Now, thinking about the ways brides and grooms think, precious metals are always involved. We thought of how brides looked against sterling silver and platinum and gold ... and I dare you to find a bridesmaid outfit that clashes with sterling silver. The walls in the foyer are embroidered in fine silk on fine silk with these dramatic white florals, and the salons are all about shimmer in the background, so the bride and groom will be the stars of their photos. It worked beautifully.”

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      Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare

      “I know [chef] Paul Bartolotta much better than I did when we originally did the restaurant. My original thought was about the basis of Italian cooking, which is olive oil, so we collected these huge, antique olive oil jars from all over the world ... none of which remain in the room today. Because of his extraordinary connection with the fishermen in the Adriatic and Mediterranean and how he presents this food, I thought a lot about fish. I’m allergic to seafood, so I couldn’t come at it from my own appreciation, but I love the image of fish. I love snorkeling. I thought about the way shafts of sunlight come through the water and watching my air bubbles rise through those shafts of light, so there they are, on the [walls] on the upper level. This is the fish’s point of view. Maybe it’s a bit strange, but it works well with the circular forms in the floor from the first imagination of the room. We left the other walls of pebble and brick, my memory of a moment of texture from traveling in Italy. The bottom level was originally carpet, but in order to raise the energy level and de-formalize the restaurant, we matched it to the stone on the upper floor. I think higher energy is always better in restaurants.”

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    Brock Radke

    Brock Radke is an award-winning writer and columnist who currently occupies the role of managing editor at Las Vegas Weekly ...

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