Located on the Las Vegas Strip in the Paradise area of unincorporated Clark County, Nevada, USA, Bellagio is a luxury hotel and casino owned by MGM Mirage and was built on the site of the demolished Dunes hotel and casino. The elegant Bellagio was inspired by the Lake Como resort of Bellagio in Italy. It most notable features includes an 8-acre artificial lake between the building and the Strip which houses the Fountains of Bellagio. Dale Chihuly's Fiori di Como can be seen inside the Bellagio with its over 2,000 hand-blown glass flowers, covers 2,000 sq ft (190 m2) of the lobby ceiling. Bellagio is home to Cirque du Soleil's aquatic production "O".
Water Fountains
- Trevi Water Fountain
- The Swann Memorial Fountain
- Buckingham Water Fountain
- Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi
- Peterhof Water Gardens
- Villa d'Este Water Fountain
- The German Fountain
- Jet d'Eau Water Fountain
- Trafalgar Square Water Fountain
- Fountain of Wealth
- Tyler Davidson Fountain
- Triton Water Fountain
- Fountain of Nations
- Flora Water Fountain
- Bellagio Water Fountain
Bellagio Water Fountain
Another wonderful creation of WET is the fountains at the Bellagio, a large dancing water fountain synchronized to music. The WET design firm specializes in inventive fountains and architectural water features.
The Bellagio was designed by Marnell Corrao Associates and Jon Jerde but the idea was originally conceived by Steve Wynn. The Bellagio was then built by the Mirage Resorts, Inc. for US $1.6 billion following the purchase and demolition of the legendary Dunes hotel and casino in 1993.
The Bellagio opened on October 15, 1998, just before 11 p.m. in a ceremony with with Steve Wynn giving a 40-minute welcome speech followed by the opening of the Cirque du Soleil production "O." The ceremony was reportedly to have cost a US$88 million. Among the performers that night were New York cabaret and recording artist Michael Feinstein, George Bugatti and John Pizarrelli. The VIPs invited to the grand opening were expected to donate to The Foundation Fighting Blindness US$1,000 a person or US$3,500 a couple, which entitled them to an overnight stay at Bellagio's suite rooms. The Bellagio is reportedly the most expensive hotel ever built at around US$1.6 billion.
The Bellagio became an MGM Mirage property when Mirage Resorts merged with MGM Grand Inc. to create MGM Mirage in 2000. Employing employs approximately 10,000 people, the casino floor of the Bellagio was remodeled and new uniforms were issued, changing the original color scheme to a more elegant type in the fall of 2006.
The Fountains of Bellagio are set in a 9-acre manmade lake. The lake is serviced by a fresh water well that was drilled decades before the irrigation of a golf course that existed on the site. So it is not true that the fountains used water from the lake is filled that is treated grey water from the hotel. The three types of nozzles being used in the Fountains of Bellagio for the various effects include the oarsmen, shooters, super shooters, and extreme shooters. The oarsmen are jets with a full range of spherical motion. The shooters on the other hand shoot water upwards. The super shooters send a water blast as high as 240 feet in the air while the extreme shooters can send a water blast as high as 460 feet. The fountains incorporate a network of pipes with more than 1,200 nozzles that make it possible to stage fountain displays coordinated with more than 4,500 lights. It is estimated that the fountains cost US$75 million to build.
The Fountains of Bellagio boasts of a vast, choreographed water feature with performances set to light and music. The performances take place in front of the Bellagio hotel and are visible from numerous vantage points on the Strip. You can witness the beauty of the Fountains of Bellagio both from the street and neighboring structures. The show takes place every 30 minutes in the afternoons and early evenings, and every 15 minutes from 8 p.m. to midnight.