Designed by Cuningham Group Architecture for the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, the new Emerald Queen Casino balances the eye-catching flash of a Las Vegas-style resort with memorable references to Puyallup tribal culture.

The facility relocates the tribe’s existing gaming operations to a highly visible site along Interstate 5 near downtown Tacoma, Washington. When complete, the full-service gaming facility will include approximately 100,000 square feet of slots and table games, a 2,000-seat event center, five food and beverage venues and two parking garages with direct access to the gaming floor.

The project utilizes an innovative and unprecedented solution to fitting a large gaming facility gracefully into urban city fabric. Due to site and infrastructure constraints, the gaming floor and amenities are strategically placed four levels above the ground floor, spanning over the city streets, supported structurally by two parking garages. This approach creates a breathtaking building that is highly visible from the highway with panoramic views of the downtown, Mt. Rainier and Puget Sound.

Mt. Rainier, Puget Sound and the Puyallup River all are important cultural landmarks for the tribe. Cuningham Group collaborated with Puyallup cultural leaders to develop an interior design concept that honors and tells the story of this relationship between culture and the tribal land base.

Interior elements subtly weave in and draw influence from the textures, shapes and colors of the mountain, river, forests and sounds that define Puyallup tribal land. Traditional and contemporary Puyallup art, cultural patterns and language also are incorporated into the design. From the bold black and red exterior to the organic textures that give life to the interior, a powerful, modern and resilient Puyallup culture is expressed.

It’s all in keeping with Cuningham’s belief that “Every building tells a story.”

For more information, visit cuningham.com.