Las Vegas Review Journal: Doomed banyan tree finds new home at Bellagio Conservatory

Florida community see beloved tree saved from wood chipper -- at least for now...by Sonya Padgett LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL January 22, 2006

Palm Beach, FL is a tree-loving community. Residents especially loved a 110-ft tall banyan tree that was more than a century old. Standing along the main road leading into Palm Beach, the tree was so grand and so beloved that a donor gave thousands of dollars for floodlights to illuminate the tree at night. It was with great sadness that the town bid farewell to that tree last June, not felled by man but brought down by a disease that threatened the rest of the barrier island's trees.

And though seven months later it is dead, the massive ficus still has a life, of sorts. Last week, (at the suggestion of Stephen Stefanou of Design Solutions) the 200,000-pound banyan became the focal point of Bellagio Conservatory's Chinese New Year display. It will remain in the conservatory for the next 11months.

A garden has been planted within the tree and guests can walk through it to view the orchids, bromiliads, mums and other plants and flowers. In a future display, the tree will serve as a butterfly habitat.

Los Angeles Times: Flying Colors:

Los Angeles Times by Roy Rivenburg March 26, 2005 (excerpt)

Bellagio's seasonal one-upmanship rite turns the Strip aflutter.

The changing displays are a hit with locals and tourists. And the outlandish props seem to be sparking a battle of one-upmanship along Las Vegas' Strip. ; Even within the Bellagio, there's new competition.... the world's tallest chocolate fountain, a glass-encased contraption that pumps 2 tons of molten chocolate.

"Our challenge." says Stephen Stefanou of DESIGN SOLUTIONS of Dallas, TX. and a member of the atrium's brain trust, " is to create a must-see destination for the jaded eyes of consumers who have seen everything."

It's a wild ride. " No one has any idea of the inner workings," he says.

Like many here, Stefanou has an eccentric past. In college, he was a pre-med major but soon discovered "I excelled in fraternity; our parties rocked."

He dropped out, got a job painting mannequins and later began designing department store window scenes. That evolved into a company that created monstrous holiday decorations for Trump Tower and Rockefeller Center.

Along the way, the snowy-haired 56-year old became a devotee of Werner Erhard and launched a sideline business selling crystals " the size of automobiles."

His metaphysical bent seeps into some of the atrium decor, such as the 3,000-pound, glow-in-the-dark cyrstal obelisk parked by the side entrance. It was sculpted by Baron Andreas von Zadora-Gerlof, a gem artisit whose clients include sheiks and aristocrats.

Union Station Holiday Decor

Union Station presented a unique opportunity for DESIGN SOLUTIONS. The historic facade in Washington, D.C., had just undergone a 200 million dollar renovation providing a new retail venue as well as maintaining its original function.

Three 36-ft wreaths with custom gold-leafed and velvet bows were created to herald the special events inside. A large and intricate snow village with a bustling train display delighted the commuters.

Trump Tower Holiday Decor

Donald Trump asked Stephen Stefanou of DESIGN SOLUTIONS to "create the most beautiful Christmas wreath in the world" for his world headquarters, Trump Tower, in New York City; one that would match his reputation and his brand.

Trump Tower has been the most successful high-rise condominium, multi-level retail and office complex in the world. The 18-ft wreath is covered in gold leaf ornamentation, Italian mini-lights and is crowned with a custom, hand-sculpted, hand-applied gold leaf bow.

Sony Entertainment World Headquarters' Holiday Decor

Sony Entertainment purchased the former AT&T building designed by Phillip Johnson during the pivotal period of his architectural style. In transforming the somber AT&T lobby for the music and multi-media-based Sony, Stephen Stefanou of DESIGN SOLUTIONS in Dallas, designed a whimsical 35-ft tall bow to mount in the existing oculus as a bridge from the old to the new ownership. There was no change to the architecture itself but the concept for the client was entirely different.

DESIGN SOLUTIONS was also hired to design and install concepts for the Sony retail stores as well as a giant tree for the adjacent fifteen-story atrium.

Leo Burnett Advertising Agency's Holiday Decor

The world's largest advertising agency, with headquarters in Chicago, IL, commissioned Stephen Stefanou with DESIGN SOLUTIONS to design, create and install a single, large, elegant Christmas tree to stand in the main lobby.

The tree rests on a colorful octagonal, drum-shape pedestal and soars to an overall height of thirty-two feet.

The pedestal's design repeats the ceiling design detail and the geometric interior style. Three coordinating gold-leafed platforms surround the tree as staging for special events.

IBM Corporate Holiday Decor

The architect for this rare complex of buildings near Dallas, TX came from the school of Ricardo Legoretta, Mexico's premier architect.

Mr. Legoretta created a fantastic multi-use complex incorporating a hotel, retail and corporate use. To complement the great monolithic towers and soaring , vibrant-hued walls, DESIGN SOLUTIONS interpreted Klaes Oldenbefg's concept of large-scale 'found objects' and placed them around the project.

An 8-ft diameter ornament appears to float in the lagoon, other ornaments were 'tossed' along the grassy lawns and a whimsical and charming surprise for all who visited the corporate campus.

GRAND PRIZE WINNER!

DESIGN SOLUTIONS was chosen to create a once-in-a-lifetime project, conceptualized by the legendary Gene Moore, window designer for Tiffany & Co for over 40 years. Stephen Stefanou brought to life Mr. Moore's vision of a winter wonderland. This"Ice Fantasy" involved original life-size characters, ice-covered trees and frosted gardens, state-of-the-art lighting techniques and an outdoor "Northern Lights" light show every night during the holiday season.

DESIGN SOLUTIONS was presented the coveted Visual Merchandising and Store Design Magazine GRAND PRIZE and FIRST PLACE, RETAIL CENTERS.

Hines Interests

Gerald Hines, Houston-based developer, is recognized as America's premier developer of luxury corporate projects.

DESIGN SOLUTIONS was asked to create a holiday icon suitable for 222 Berkeley's winter garden that complemented the traditional corporate environment. Stephen Stefanou has executed many magnificent projects for Hines's top buildings in New York, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, Beverly Hills, Chicago and Minneapolis. DESIGN SOLUTIONS also designed a fantastic interior for Deutsche Bank.

St. John's Knits....It's Snowing!

It is snowing ....................................................giant, brilliant, crystal snowflakes at St. John's Knits. Stephen Stefanou of DESIGN SOLUTIONS in Dallas, TX was asked to create a holiday icon that echoed the St. John's Knit brand.

High-end apparel with iconic style deserves no less than beautiful, fanciful crystal snowflakes.

Equitable Tower in New York City

America's largest insurance company, Equitable Life Insurance, commissioned Stephen Stefanou of DESIGN SOLUTIONS of Dallas to create a concept for their conservative Corporate World Headquarters in New York City. This concept supports the profile of the client while being perfectly in scale with the enormous atrium lobby. The natural pine-cone composition also complements rather than detracting from the large-scale commissioned painting by Roy Lichtenstein that hangs prominently in the lobby.

Coca Cola's World Headquarters

The Coca Cola Company commissioned DESIGN SOLUTIONS to design and create Christmas elements for their world corporate headquarters complex in Atlanta, Georgia.

The project was designed to enhance the interior and exterior architecture of the building as well as the impressive fountain sculpture at the entrance and to support the client's Christmas programs for local charities. DESIGN SOLUTIONS also created a whimsical topiary sculpture to be compatible with and complementary to the client's world-class sculpture garden.

American Express World Headquarters

Amercian Express Corporation chose Stephen Stefanou of DESIGN SOLUTIONS in Dallas to create a custom project for their newly completed World Headquarters at New York's World Financial Center, designed by Caesar Pelli. Because of the prominence of the client's art collection, DESIGN SOLUTIONS consulted with their art consultant, Swanke Hayden Connell, to establish an aesthetic for corporate giant which would support their corporate persona. Two 16-ft wreaths, beautifully trimmed in plain and faceted gold-leafed ornamentation, dramatized the main entrances announcing the holiday program within. Red and gold tapestries depicting Christmas scene from around the world hang from rods and finials of hand-applied gold leaf. These tapestries were designed to tie in with the client's international target market, and included scenes from Christmas around the world.

New Yok Times: Corporate Christmas

Rockefeller Center Holiday Tree and Angels

What's the Idea for Corporate Christmas? New York Times November 27, 1994

Stephen Stefanou thinks Christmas is capital. And so should landlords of A+ properties, who he contends would be better off paying big bucks upfront to create memorable and reusable holiday displays than wasting money on one-time, small-scale decorations.

Dallas Morning News: Getting Designs on Santa

Corporate Artist dresses up Buildings for the Holidays...by Cheryl Hall Dallas Morning News, November 27, 1994

Stephen Stefanou's deadlines and travel itinerary might make Santa sweat.
The last month has been a bit of a blur as the Dallas designer has scurried from city to city tending to last-minute details for his decorative Christmas displays.
By today, every oversize wreath, ornament and gilded bow has to be out of his workshop and ready for prime-time seasonal viewing in New York, Chicago, Charlotte, N.C., Miami, Minneapolis and, of course, Dallas.
When NBC Today cameras scan outside NBC studios Monday, Mr. Stefanou gigantic ornaments and toy soldiers will take front and center in their glitzy Rockefeller Center setting.
When traders stream onto the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, their early start will be brightened by an 8-ft, motorized, jeweled ornament representing the globe.
And when Dallas workers return to Trammell Crow Center after Thanksgiving greeted by old acquaintances --two greater-than-life angels hovering above the lobby.
"My biggest success is when a corporate executive walks in and for a second is a child," says this transformational designer. "For that moment he smiles and giggles. It's amazing to see it happen."
Unlike Santa, however, this harbinger of the holidays can't rest now that his deliveries are made. A second incredible rush lies ahead. He must make his goodies magically disappear after New Year's --- and not a day sooner.

Fashion Show is dressing up for the Holidays!

Fashion Show Magazine/ December 2005 by Kate Silver

The largest retail center on the Las Vegas Strip will again be adorned with jaw-dropping, larger-than-life holiday decorations created by Stephen Stefanou of Dallas-based DESIGN SOLUTIONS, one of the world's preeminent designers of seasonal holiday environments.

Stefanou, who typically doesn't decorate shopping center for the holidays, believes Fashion Show is in a league of its own. "Fashion Show is no ordinary shopping center. Its commanding presence created by ceilings and spaces that seem to go on forever, along with its status as the premier fashion retail venue in Las Vegas, calls for exciting decor above and beyond the norm. We eagerly accepted the challenge."

Fashion Show's holiday decor features tow 12-ft snow crystal maidens, a 36-ft holiday tree that features a five-ft diamond-like snowburst tree-topper, giant sugar plus fairies of glass, crystal and jewels , and shimmering 12-ft wreaths of "diamonds."

Fashion Show joins an impressive list of other landmark venues well dressed for the holidays by DESIGN SOLUTIONS. These include Rockefeller Center, Trump Tower, Embarcadero Center, Coca-Cola World Headquarters and even The Bellagio Resort & Casino.

"Erte was arguably the greatest costume-designer in history," says Stefanou. "His designs are glamorous, unusual, elegant, opulent and timeless. Isn't that how we all want to look during the holidays?"

Los Angeles Times: Making the Strip Bloom

Conservatory's seasonal change-out planted with hard work and flowers. by Susan King ( excerpt from Los Angeles Times, May 31, 2007)
A 42-ft Ferris wheel filled with sunflowers reaches toward the 55-ft tall glass ceiling, while hot air balloons launch into the air and return to the ground. In another area, a 1962 beige Corvette convertible on loan from a car museum in Bowling Green, Ky., appears to be driving past classic gas pumps. (Decor was designed and created by Stephen Stefanou of Design Solutions in Dallas, TX)

"We're here for seven days, 24 hours a day," said Tim Hunter, manager of the conservatory. "It's always got to look nice in here," explained Hunter. While the Bellagio does not disclose the amount of revenue spent on the conservatory, he said it is "well worth the money".

"The conservatory is what sets us apart from the other hotels," said Hunter, explaining the attention to details. "There are people who come in every year just to see a certain show."

Las Vegas Sun: Casinos Open Arms for Asians

Chinese New Year turning into Lucrative Holiday!
Las Vegas Sun by Liz Benston January 25, 2006

A Chinese propensity to gamble is a long-held truism in Las Vegas that has yet to be documented with any accuracy. But some say there is a cultural basis for gambling during Chinese New Year -- a holiday that is inextricably tied to testing one's luck.
If a person wins a wager, it could bring new luck for the rest of the year, or so the tradition goes. Losing a bet could rid the bettor of bad luck that's accumulated over the past year.

The Bellagio Conservatory features a pagoda, Tang Dynasty horse and other traditional Chinese decor (designed by Stephen Stefanou with Design Solutions in Dallas, TX) in celebration of Chinese New Year. Many hotels plan special events for the holiday.

Season's Greetings Stunner

Season's Greetings Stunner

(excerpt from Plastics Distributor & Fabrictor Industry Magazine September 2009span>)
In the worlds of entertainment, hotel and casino design and corporate branding, bigger is always better. Designers and promoters want eye-catching glitz, glamour and bright lights. They want “Pop!” They want a “Wow!” And for the past 40 years, Stephen Stefanou and his team of designers at Design Solutions, Dallas, Texas, have developed a reputation for big, bold visual displays tailor made for every space and crafted with care down to the finest detail. The grandeur the visual display firm has brought to hotels, casinos, and other public spaces across the world has drawn international acclaim for their unique design – and their scale.
Design Solutions has been commissioned to develop breath-taking displays at some of the country’s most extravagant venues. They have designed gold-leafed, mirror spangled holiday statues and displays at the Bellagio, beautiful LED-lit translucent starbursts and life-sized caribou for the MGM Grand in Detroit, and holiday fixtures of all shapes and sizes at A-plus properties and corporate headquarters around the globe.
The company’s most recent installation, a holiday spectacular at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center on the Potomac River in National Harbor, MD, is just the latest example of the vision and innovation Design Solutions brings to every project.
“When the Gaylord National came to us with a request for a unique holiday attraction, we knew at once that the hotel’s dramatic 18-story atrium would provide us both with a one-of-a-kind challenge and a one-of-a-kind opportunity,” says Stefanou, president and CEO of Design Solutions. “Not only was the space enormous, requiring us to create an equally large installation, its size and height also demanded a material that would be lightweight and highly sculptable.”
From Concept to Creation
Faced with these challenges, the Design Solutions team set out to create an attraction that would not only fill the spacious atrium, but also provide a reason for both locals and tourists to visit the Gaylord during the slower-than-usual winter<>They wanted something that would draw people in from all corners of the city – a true attraction that people would have to see to believe,” he explains.

Following intensive ideation and conceptualization, the team settled on the idea of a Christmas tree. But not just any Christmas tree. They promised to create the largest hanging Christmas tree in the world – a 6 0-feet tall “Tree of Light” formed from a total of 110 curvilinear holly leaves, each measuring an amazing eight to 12-foot long. The 7,000- pound seasonal stunner would be topped with a hand-sculpted ribbon bedecked in hand-applied gold leaf. And using technology more commonly associated with The Walt Disney Resorts’ famous outdoor light spectaculars and arena-sized concert shows, the team designed a dramatic lighting scheme featuring 40,000- watt Syncrolite external spotlights and a variety of theatrical lighting and strobe lights that provide lighting from the inside out. Material Making the Difference “The combination of size, highly detailed display elements, and mold ability challenges made our choice of material imperative to the project’s ultimate success,” says Stefanou. Based on the firm’s past experience, they quickly chose Eastman Spectar™ copolyester PETG, a durable, flexible and lightweight material perfect for such largescale applications. According to Stefanou, the material’s flexibility is key. Dubbed “Candy Glass” by the resort’s canny marketers, Eastman Spectar™ possesses incredible, brittle-free bending attributes not matched by competing glass alternatives. A mainstay in visual merchandising environments worldwide, the innovative material enjoys a global reputation for delivering strong, durable and transcendently translucent results.

Phil Coffey, the Gaylord National’s Senior Vice President and General Manager, says that the Tree of Light is “a singular work of art that we are delighted to share with our guests and visitors. We couldn’t be more pleased to showcase this new attraction as the centerpiece of a new mid- Atlantic holiday tradition.”

NY Times: Las Vegas Adapts to Reap Chinese New Year Bounty...New York Times February 21, 2007

The New York Times ( excerpt February 21, 2007) by Steve Freiss

Las Vegas Adapts to Reap Chinese New Year Bounty...

At the Bellagio, the theme of the 14,000-sq-ft conservatory is changed only five times a year, and Chinese New Year is one of those times. The current display ( designed by Stephen Stefanou of Design Solutions in Dallas) features live tangerine trees, a 45-ft-tall pagoda, 18-ft-tall 'god of fortune' and a mechanical pig with a moving tail, snout and eyes.

'You'll see a lot of Chinese lanterns hanging in groups of six because multiples of six are lucky numbers," the Conservatory manager, Sharon Hatcher, said. "Everything here are multiples of six or eight, because those are the lucky numbers. Even the number of koi we have in our pond are multiples of eight . We want to maintain as much positive energy for luck for the new year celebration."

Las Vegas Sun: GRAND DESIGNS: Stefanou brings passion & size to displays at Fashion Show Mall, November 25, 2003 Las Vegas Sun Newspaper

Las Vegas Sun Newspaper by Kristen Peterson November 25, 2003
Stephen Stefanou likes big things. His dreams are big. His passions are big. when it comes to the holidays, his designs are copious.
At the Fashion Show Mall, his Erte-inspired holiday display features sculpted, jeweled ornaments of slender women, stretching as much as 25-ft and costumed in red velvet and lace.
I need a client who needs something really different," Stefanou said. "I always dream everything big, which requires architectural design, thought and engineering."
"We didn't just want a decorating scheme to decorate the building," Karen Kozemchak, Fashion Show mall marketing director, said. "We want to create an environmental feeling and link it to what we're about, fashion and design."
"With this square footage, you cannot decorate the mall," Stefanou said. "You have to create destinations within the mall."
"Erte was arguably the greatest costume designer in history," said Stefanou. " His designs are glamorous, unusual elegant and opulent. All those characteristics translate extremely well into holiday decor well suited to the fashion retail environment."

Omaha World-Herald December 1, 2007

Shadow Lake Towne Center

(excerpt from Omaha World-Herald)
With competition for the holiday dollar fierce, stores and shopping centers rely on more than well-stocked shelves and competitive prices to attract shoppers. The addition of seasoal decor such as trees, garlands, lights and giant ornaments lends a festive air and is intended to put customers in the holiday spirit.

The looks are carefully considered. Village Pointe's decor, for example, was provided by DESIGN SOLUTIONS, a Dallas-based company that also decorates Rockefeller Center in New York City , the Bellagio Resort and Casino in Las Vegas and Union Station in Washington, D.C.

Design Solutions also handled Shadow Lake Towne Center, according to operations manager, Bryan Boyce.
A live 35-ft-tall tree topped by a 4-ft gold star stands inn the middle of the outdoor shopping center. Covering it are golden pinecones, large multi-colored lights and about 5,000 smaller, twinkly ones.
We've gotten a lot of really positive feedback," said Alicia Peters, marketing director at Shadow Lake.

Peters calls the decorations which the shopping center owns, an investment in the property. We'll keep them for years to come.

At Shadow Lake, shoppers sometimes inquire about the price of the nutcrackers or the stars, Boyce said.

"It's a great feeling to see it when it's done and throughout the season you get a lot of compliments," he added. "We all enjoy it -- I know I do."

A New York Holiday Icon

A perfect photo opportunity awaits holiday tourist every year in New York City at 1251 Avenue of Americas/Rockefeller Center just across from Radio City Music Hall. A spectacular stack of ten ( plus three separate ) over-scaled holiday ornaments 'float' just above the water feature. This popular holiday decor designed by Stephen Stefanou of Design Solutions has become iconic to the New York holiday landscape.

Grand Tulips on Display

Giant, 45-tall, Parrot Tulips bloom in colorful splendor at the entrance of MGM Grand Detroit.

Stephen Stefanou of Design Solutions custom-designed a beautiful debut of Spring for the passersby and guests of the casino in the heart of Detroit. Each tulip petal is custom-sculpted in 'synthetic glass' and hand-painted in a custom finish. Adding a bit of whimsy to the display is a hand-spade in perfect proportion.

Design Solutions and Stephen Stefanou

Stephen Stefanou has been in the design and display industry for over thirty-five years.
Mr. Stefanou and his award-winning firm, Design Solutions, have put together a team of brilliant designers and technicians to shape the company in its present form. The firm designs corporate headquarters, mixed-use venues, city plazas, resorts and casinos plus residences for private clients around the world as well as the interiors of private and corporate jets.
Several years ago when major developers became interested in promoting their buildings, Stephen Stefanou saw an opportunity to transfer skills from retail display to the enhancement of commercial properties. When contacted by Trammell Crow to provide a holiday display for his new premier building in Dallas, TX, Stephen created a display of a 14th-century Renaissance angel with an 18-ft wingspan, which is to this day a beloved tradition in the lobby of the Trammell Crow Company national headquarters. His vision for Rockefeller Center’s holiday décor has been on display for more than twenty-five years.

For the Nasher family, owners of the most profitable shopping center per square foot in America, Design Solutions created the breathtaking “Crown Jewels of Atlantis” display. The show depicted a garden of large, museum-quality crystals breathing color. It was the most highly attended exhibit of its kind in this country. The rock quartiz crystal Obelisk which stands in the Bellagio Resort & Casino's conservatory garden is his creation. For over eight years, Stefanou has created five seasonal displays each year for Bellagio Resort & Casino’s conservatory garden which has garnered much press and proved to be very successful for the resort.

In addition to private clients, Design Solutions’ corporate client roster contains such giants as AT&T, the Trump Organization, Rockefeller Center, American Express, Sony Corporation, MGM Mirage, Hunt Oil, Gaylord National, The Coca-Cola Company and many more.

Mr. Stefanou also owns Krystallos, Inc., a company that markets museum-quality minerals and fossils to the interior design and architectural industry. He has a keen interest in rock crystal architeture.......staircases, fireplaces, doors, etc. The quality of Stefanou’s work is always elegant and visionary. His success lies not only in his artistry, but also in his ability to integrate client needs with artistic conceptual goals. His work has been published in leading design publications such as: Town & Country, Architectural Digest, Vogue, Texas Homes and Dallas/Fort Worth Home and Garden to name a few.

A Magnificent,60-ft tall 'Synthetic Glass' Holly Tree

The Christmas holidays at the Gaylord National Resort are high-lighted by a custom-designed, 60-ft tall, chandelier tree made solely of beautiful, translucent, 'synthetic glass' adorned with overscale red, holly berries.

Possessing all the beauty of art glass and none of the hazards, synthetic glass opens up a world of creative options to the design field.

Stephen Stefanou, president and lead designer of Design Solutions, has explored many design opportunities using synthetic glass which is created using a technique very similar to art of glass blowing.

16-ft tall poppies with 8-ft diameter, colorful, translucent blooms......25-ft long autumnal leaves.......Giant 28-ft tall, winter icebursts are just a few of the spectacular portfolio items.

You are only limited by your imagination.

Design Solutions

800.765.0801