Posted: Jul 26, 2021 at 8:31 am
Last updated: July 26, 2021, 8:31 am.
Famed landscape architect Don Brinkerhoff died on July 16 at the age of 90 at his home in Newport Beach, California. No cause of death was given in the obituary.
The Las Vegas Strip would simply not be the Las Vegas Strip without Don Brinkerhoff, the landscape architect for casinos or decades. Brinkerhoff died on July 16, 2021 at the age of 90. (Image: The Poly Post)
Without Brinkerhoff’s stellar career, the Las Vega Strip would look dramatically different today. Brinkerhoff, along with his late wife and business partner Barbara, ran Lifescapes International Inc. The company played an important role in beautifying South Las Vegas Boulevard, transforming the gambling city’s main attraction from a gray corridor into one with lush green landscapes and features that countless visitors come to Amazed.
Don’s contributions from The Mirage, Treasure Island, Bellagio, Wynn, Encore and China have been critical, ”Steve Wynn said in a statement. “It was Don who came up with the detail of the front of The Mirage and it was Don who introduced me to Mark Fuller with the idea of the fountain at the Bellagio.”
Yes, the world-famous Bellagio Fountains probably wouldn’t be one of the Strip’s most-visited public attractions without Brinkerhoff. Lifescapes was also responsible for the Bellagio’s 14,000-square-foot conservatory, which invites guests to return for new exhibitions year-round.
Excellent career
In addition to Brinkerhoff’s landscape architecture design work with several of Steve Wynn’s iconic homes, his Las Vegas casino portfolio includes The Venetian and Palazzo, Red Rock Resort and Palms.
Lifescapes also designed the landscape for Pechanga Resort & Casino in California, Encore Boston Harbor, Golden Nugget Lake Charles, La., And Paradise City in Incheon, South Korea. For those who have visited China’s Macau, Brinkerhoff’s work can be viewed at The Venetian and Four Seasons.
“Never underestimate the role of discovery and surprise in the design process. Exceed expectations, but more importantly, offer an unexpected experience or an unexpected detail and you will delight your guests more than you can ever imagine, ”said Brinkerhoff in 2013.
Brinkerhoff was elected to the Gaming Hall of Fame of the American Gaming Association in 2016.
The landscape of Las Vegas could change
Despite being in the middle of the Mojave Desert, with a climate characterized by long, extremely hot summers and an average of only 26 rainy days per year, the Las Vegas Strip offers plenty of lush green spaces. That could change in the coming years.
To conserve water, a 2020 law signed by Nevada’s Governor Steve Sisolak (D) mandates that nearly a third of all grass in southern Nevada must be removed by 2027. Legislation bans the Southern Nevada Water Board’s use of Colorado River water for “broken lawns” from the same year.
I think it is up to us for the next generation to be more conscious about the protection of our natural resources, with water being particularly important, ”said Sisolak, explaining his support for the measure.
Before Steve Wynn fell out of favor in 2018 for alleged sexual misconduct with female employees, the billionaire proposed building a 38-acre lagoon behind the casinos on Wynn’s Strip. The $ 1.5 billion development was later halted and the Wynn Golf Club reopened as an 18-hole course in 2019.
