Contract - January/February 2014 - 74

the height of the lobby of the
armani hotel (opposite, top)
in downtown dubai, united
arab emirates, is dramatized
by tubular arches that echo
the lines of the burj Khalifa's
three-lobed plan.
a rendering (opposite, bottom)
depicts the concept for the
presidential palace for the
united arab emirates that
wilson was asked to design.

in 2007, oprah winfrey asked
trisha wilson to design and
oversee the construction of
the oprah winfrey leadership
academy for girls outside of
Johannesburg, south africa.

74

"It wasn't just about a hotel stay, it was about the whole experience.
It was about crafting a story through the design that began the minute
you would pull up in your car to the moment you would leave,"
McMahon says. Yet, it was Wilson's skill as an entrepreneur that
enabled her to amass a stellar team of talented designers and see
through a growing roster of projects in various parts on the country
with finesse. "I often relied on Trisha for strategy advice on structuring
teams, pricing, and execution," McMahon says.
Wilson's ability to foresee both design and market trends-from
the entertainment hotel concept fostered by Disney's former CEO
Michael Eisner in the late 1980s and early 1990s to the concurrent
fantasy casino resorts like Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas to
the boutique hotels that emerged in the 1990s and early 2000s-
allowed her to adapt to the broader forces that began transforming the
hospitality industry and continually reach new plateaus. Over the years,
lucrative design commissions, such as the Sheraton Boston Hotel
and Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi in Santa Fe (1992), also brought
her numerous awards, including ASID's Designer of Distinction
Award in 1993.
design for the biggest names in hospitality
As Wilson's body of work expanded, she also began attracting the
attention of the world's most influential hotel operators and developers,
including Steve Wynn, the high-profile Las Vegas hotel developer, Sol
Kerzner, the global resort magnate, Isadore Sharp, founder and
chairman of the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and Texas oil heiress
Caroline Hunt, founder of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. Once she
started working with these industry powerhouses, Wilson's career
exploded. "Her relationship with Isadore Sharp launched her to a new
level," says Jerry Inzerillo, former general manager of the Four Seasons
Hotels & Resorts, who met Wilson when she designed Las Colinas
Resort and Club, Four Seasons' first golf resort, spa, and conference
center complex in Dallas (1986). "He allowed her to go from a great
American design firm to a great global design firm." Her international
commissions, including Four Seasons hotels in Cairo (2000), Hong
Kong (2005), and Riyadh (2003), among many others, inspired Wilson
to open offices in the Middle East and Shanghai within the past decade,
and enabled her designers to readily connect with local sources and
adapt to local laws and customs.
"When we opened the Shanghai office, it was the future," Wilson
says. "China was the future, so we just said we have to go there. It was a
good decision because, after the recession, everybody was trying to go
to China, but we were already there. We had already been there and had
gained their trust. The same thing happened in Singapore. We opened
a Singapore office about 24 years ago, and we didn't leave."
Another turning point in her career came with an invitation from
South African developer Sol Kerzner to design the Palace of the Lost
City, the fantastical mega-casino resort in Sun City, South Africa, that
opened in 1992. Breaking ground during the apartheid era, the project
not only opened new doors to international projects and people for
Wilson, but also allowed her to deploy her cultural sensitivity and
resourceful street smarts to navigate the foreign terrain and spawn a
network of cottage businesses that continue to thrive to this day. "What
was so exciting about the project was that we created an industry,"
Wilson says. "The fabrics, the furniture, the carpeting, the moldings-
they weren't there, so we taught people who had the skills. Now in
South Africa, there's a big industry for design."
The experience also launched a love affair with South Africa and
its people for Wilson, and prompted her to build a game lodge and

contractdesign.com 	

january | february 2014

photography: peter vitale (top two), Courtesy of the wilson foundation (bottom); andrea ferrari (opposite, top), rendering by wilson assoCiates (opposite, bottom)

the palace of the lost City
in sun City, south africa,
contains unique spaces
that reflect a sense of place,
including the tusk bar (left)
and the pillared Crystal Court
veranda (below). the project
was completed in 1992 and
was a pivitol one for wilson,
introducing her to africa.


http://www.contractdesign.com

Contract - January/February 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - January/February 2014

Contents
Contract - January/February 2014 - Intro
Contract - January/February 2014 - Cover1
Contract - January/February 2014 - Cover2
Contract - January/February 2014 - 1
Contract - January/February 2014 - Contents
Contract - January/February 2014 - 3
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Contract - January/February 2014 - Cover3
Contract - January/February 2014 - Cover4
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