Archives: Articles

How does one minimize the discomfort of winter? Play in it. With a bathing suit!
   
Soaring Eagle Waterpark & Hotel expects to make winter tribulation a celebration. Its playland is primarily indoors, with the park being roughly 45,000 square feet. A restaurant with 140 seats, meeting rooms for up to 50 people, fitness center, business center, indoor pool with steam room and sauna and 244
guestroom suites complete this unique facility, and vision. There’s an 18-hole golf course too, but that will be limited by weather conditions.
   
The Waterpark & Hotel was designed by Thalden-Boyd-Emery Architects, who know that winter comes early and stays late in Central Michigan. Although the Waterpark & Hotel opened May 21, in time for a busy summer season, its anticipated novelty will occur during the gray days of January, February and March. The facility is just north of Lansing, the state capitol.
    
“Way up in Michigan, people get that cabin fever in the winter,” says Chief Boyd, principal for the Thalden-Boyd-Emery group. “The water parks, the lights, the slides, etc., make them think they are back in the summertime. That gets them over that fever and on top of that, the kids love to come.”
   
The facility serves two market segments. It can be self-sustaining or act as an amenity center for nearby Soaring Eagle Casino, which has the same owners. One family member can watch the kids while the other gambles, for example.
   
Construction started about a year ago. The architectural design is based on a contemporary rustic approach. In combination with the glass and natural material covered patios trellis structures, this facility embraces the outdoors unified by tower elements and windowed cupolas, vaulted canopies and arched dormers.
   
The WaterPark interior has a more tribal character, implied by the use of stylized timber details. These elements recall the bent limbs used in the traditional dwelling of the Saginaw Chippewa.
   
A unique structure also exists in the life-sized form of a grandmother telling stories about the tribe while sitting by a stream.
While the tribal effect is subtle, the entire facility screams “excitement.” One unique element is a water slide that begins indoors, whips around outside the building and winds up indoors. It is a three-story joyride.

Owner: Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan
Architect: Thalden-Boyd-Emery
Size: 103,000 square feet
Cost: $34 million

The construction of the Octavius Tower at Caesars Palace actually was completed in 2008, but the opening of the latest expansion of the venerable Las Vegas landmark was delayed until 2011 as the country sank into recession during those years. But it has been well worth the wait.
   
It’s not often that a 686-room hotel could be considered boutique, but that was the goal of Caesars Palace executives right from the start. The Octavius Tower has a separate entrance on Flamingo Road, giving it an exclusive feel, an impression that is heightened once the guest arrives in any of the rooms in the tower.
   
Starting at 550 square feet, each room offers modern, luxurious décor incorporating earthy shades of browns, grays, taupes and beiges, offset with pops of green and splashes of deep red. The rooms feature marble floors and stylish patterned carpets that complement dark wood furnishings and brushed chrome fixtures. King-sized beds with sleek headboards, plush pillow top mattresses and luxurious Anichini linens provide ultimate comfort, while separate living areas create an inviting ambiance with plush velvet sofas, contemporary chairs and chic stone tables. Dark wood desks with granite overlays feature custom cabinetry containing a premium mini-bar.
   
If you’re lucky enough to book one of the suites, the superlatives don’t ever end. The tower features 60 of the property’s most luxurious suites and nine villas meant for kings, presidents and princes.
   
But you’re still at Caesars Palace and the Octavius Tower continues the full Roman theming of Caesars Palace, with the Palace Tower and Romanization of the three original “arabesque” guestroom towers, together with an overlay of the several low-rise components, Bergman Walls & Associates has supported Caesars Palace’s preeminence as the destination resort to visit in Las Vegas.
   
Technology plays a huge role in the Octavius Tower, as well. Framed 42-inch flat-panel, high-definition television screens and convenient multimedia hubs offer a user-friendly in-room technology package with advanced plug-and-play capabilities. Guests can connect their mobile device to automatically stream videos and music, browse the internet, check emails, give presentations and much more direct to the television. Upon arrival, Octavius Tower guests also have immediate access to the exclusive interactive guest directory bringing the many offerings of Caesars Palace direct to their fingertips. Accessible through any mobile browser, the web application allows direct communication with concierge, housekeeping, room service, transportation, valet, bell and butler services, along with resort information and insider offers. 
  
Caesars President Gary Selesner isn’t resting on his laurels, either. Next year, a true boutique casino will open within the walls of Caesars Palace developed by celebrated Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa and a coterie of superstar investors, including actor Robert DeNiro. Stay tuned.

OWNER: Caesars Entertainment
ARCHITECT: Bergman Walls & Associates
INTERIOR DESIGN: Wilson Associates and KNA Design
CONTRACTOR: Marnell Keating Joint Venture
COST: Part of $860 million expansion since 2008

Pennsylvania’s first Category 3 resort-class casino had a head start. Category 3 casinos are designated to be attached to a hotel with year-round resort amenities, but in this case, the draw to the area was already there—the Valley Forge Convention Center and adjacent Radisson Hotel. And, with the nearby Valley Forge National Park and King of Prussia Mall, people already flocked to the area.
   
There were challenges, however. The building was originally designed to accommodate five indoor tennis courts above the convention center’s exhibit hall. According to Steven Henkelman, the partner at Cope Linder Architects in charge of the project, the parking lot had to be altered. “It was immediately obvious that the existing circulation and parking patterns would be detrimental to the guest experience and inhibit direct access into the casino, which was a half level below existing grade,” Henkelman says.
   
To solve the problem, a “camel’s hump” in the parking area was removed and the parking area was lowered to provide what Henkelman calls a “clear and understandable route” to the casino entrances and allow for an elegant porte cochere.     
   
Inside, the goal was to create a casual, “exclusive club”-like environment, he says.
   
Cope Linder joined with interior designer Floss Barber to create a sleek, elegant and easy-flowing design that uses soft colors and modern design elements to create a comfortable atmosphere. Category 3 rules restrict the gaming floor to 600 slots and 50 table games, so Henkelman says another goal was to create a sense of variety within this necessarily smaller space of less than 33,000 square feet.
   
Barber, who is one of the premier designers of casino interiors, used not only reds and wood—“iconic forms of a club,” she says—but shape to create an air of exclusivity. “It was important to the client it feel like a private club,” she says. “Not the Union League, but something with exclusivity to it, and that would make it different from other casinos.”
   
In creating all the interiors (except back-of-house areas), Barber says she started by using the shapes that were already there. “There were five light wells that existed in the space, perhaps 25 feet high,” she explains. “We started looking at how to carve into those light wells to create an interesting space. We started creating these wonderful forms in the ceiling, and then we carved the round central bar as the generator, the central force.”
   
Much creativity went into each element of the design. Barber says the carpet is a takeoff of an Emilio Pucci dress pattern. Icicle-like light fixtures pull customers into the space the way crystal chandeliers might with a bigger design budget. Privacy was created for a high-end room with a display of sculpted carved-wood forms.
  
“We went for a little of the Mad Men era, the Sinatra style,” Barber says. “We wanted that era’s aesthetic, with clubs and privacy and fun—when life was a little easier.”

Owners: Valley Forge Convention Center Partners, L.P.
Architect: Cope Linder Architects
Interior Design: Floss Barber, Inc.
Total Investment: $165 million

Jimmy Buffett’s laid-back casino theme of Margaritaville came to his hometown of Biloxi in May when longtime casino executive Tom Brosig opened the Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant. The property is the first stand-alone Margaritaville Casino (a similarly themed casino is part of the Flamingo in Las Vegas, adjacent to the restaurant of the same name).
   
With shops, restaurants and a casino that opens to Biloxi’s marina and bay, Margaritaville is an entirely new style of gaming establishment, with an outdoor and beach-like feel of an ongoing party.
   
“Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville group works very hard to keep its brand consistent, which is all about a laid-back way to live, party and experience life,” says Cuningham Group principal Tom Hoskens. “And that’s exactly what you’ll find in this casino.”
   
Hoskens says the challenge was to stay true to Buffett’s Margaritaville brand.
   
“Cuningham Group’s philosophy of ‘Every Building Tells A Story’ works well with Margaritaville,” he says. “Working from this philosophy, each location tells the story of the owner’s vision and story of its unique site. No two stories are the same; therefore, no two projects are exactly the same. For Margaritaville, we worked to create elements of its unique location that could be incorporated into the brand standards.”
   
Recovering from the storm of the century, Hurricane Katrina, means any construction in Biloxi must meet rigid construction codes.
   
“Due to its location immediately adjacent to the waterfront,” explains Hoskens, “the building needed to be elevated above storm surge and comply with FEMA regulations. This meant that guests need to enter at grade and ascend a set of escalators through an environment that builds excitement about the Margaritaville experience they are entering. The experience was established with the use of color, Jimmy Buffet artifacts, and the ascension of the escalator through a grouping of palm trees.”
   
And there turned out to be benefits to this construction.
    
“The elevation required by FEMA actually greatly enhances the dramatic views of Biloxi’s Back Bay from the resort’s elevated dining and porch,” says Hoskens.
     
While Margaritaville has opened without a hotel, Hoskens says it’s part of a plan for future phases of the property.
     
Brosig, one of the founders of Grand Casinos back in the early 1990s, had retired after the company was sold to a predecessor of Caesars Entertainment. But his love for the Gulf Coast caused him to return after Katrina to help contribute to the revival of the area.
   
“I’ve settled down here,” he says. “I’m a local. I wanted to play a role in bringing this area back after the storm, and this turned out to be the perfect project.”
   
Margaritaville brings hundreds of jobs and a new themed attraction that will draw more tourists and create yet another must-see attraction in Biloxi.

Owner: MVB Holding, LLC
Architect: Cuningham Group Architecture, Inc.
Interior Design: The McBride Company
Theme Contrator: Cost of Wisconsin
Total Investment: $64 million

Excitement spans several levels at Indian Head Casino.
   
Its lean and mean $11.2 million cost fit nicely into a price range banks or investors could fund quickly. The size, moderate by design standards, ensured a quick building turnaround of less than one year. And the cultural expression pleased the tribes while providing an aesthetic experience for the public. The 20,000-square-foot facility, which opened February 4, 2012, includes 500 slots and video poker machines, an 18,000-square-foot gaming area, penny slots through $10 high-stake slots, and eight blackjack tables.
   
“It’s like a very contemporary sculpture that you can inhabit,” says Bryan Hamlin, vice president of design for Denver-based WorthGroup Architects, which was largely responsible for the project. “It has fresh finishes, earthy tones. It is very comfortable, extremely inviting and yet it recalls an ancestry that goes back 10,000 years.”
   
The building exterior, with three large structures to denote the tribes, commemorates Celilo Falls, a sensitive chapter in tribal history. Celilo Falls, on the Columbia River, was the site of a revered fishery for the tribes. It was lost in 1957 with the building of the Dalles dam, which killed the largest Native trading center in the country.
   
The Celilo Falls legacy is recalled in the fine structural composition here.
   
Another design element is the river of light. Winding its way across the casino ceiling, it is a series of suspended custom LED curved chandeliers. They create abstracted color and motion.
   
Patrons will notice an organic shape that connects the entire gaming floor across the room. This allows the patron to have the same visual experience from both the main and east lobbies. These suspended, illuminated elements represent both the river and the wind traveling down the valley. The use of programmable LED lighting creates a true feel of water and movement throughout the space.  
   
The Cottonwood Restaurant façade, meanwhile, features several hundred interlocking horizontal wood elements, Hamlin says. They recall the tribe’s lumber industries and create the dynamic façade of the restaurant.         
   
Integrated within the floor-to-ceiling pattern, guests will recognize the Indian Head profile of the symbolic local rock formation from which the casino receives its name.

Owners: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, represented by the Warm Springs, Wasco and Paiute tribes
Architect: WorthGroup Architects
Size: 20,000 square feet; 18,000-square-foot gaming floor
Investment: $11.2 million

The Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo now has something for everyone.
   
Owned by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Four Winds New Buffalo debuted a new expansion that adds to the tribe’s branded Four Winds Casino properties. The upgrades include a nine-story, 250-room hotel tower, the multi-use Silver Creek Event Center, and the popular Hard Rock Café.
   
The new tower, with a mix of standard rooms and suites, doubles the original property’s capacity. Creating a seamless design that reinforces the character, materials and palette of the existing property was paramount to the tribe.
   
“Maintaining brand integrity and cultural identity were critical design criteria,” says Nathan Peak, lead designer and senior associate at Hnedak Bobo Group, the project’s lead architect. “Our design team achieved these goals through the use of similar, yet contemporized exterior and interior materials that evoke a regional, rustic and welcoming environment. Special attention was also given to creating unique details that reference tribal symbolism.”
   
All hotel rooms include granite counter tops, leather-wrapped headboards, Serta beds, flat-screen Sony Bravia high-definition televisions and wireless high-speed internet access. All suites have a walk-in shower, Kohler whirlpool tubs with complimentary bath salts and signature spa robe, and a wet bar with a refrigerator and microwave.
   
In addition to the hotel tower, the resort’s new multi-function, 70,000-square-foot Silver Creek Event Center offers limitless opportunities for entertainment and conferencing. Named for a nearby creek culturally significant to the Pokagon tribe, the Event Center can seat over 1,500 guests and can be configured into multiple sizes to accommodate different uses—concerts, meetings, special events, conferences and banquets.
   
One of the most anticipated aspects of the project was the Hard Rock Café Four Winds, a partnership between the casino and Hard Rock International, which owns the world’s greatest collection of music memorabilia. Located adjacent to the gaming floor, the 12,000-square-foot Hard Rock Café spans two floors and includes a new entrance, two bars, restaurant seating for over 275 people, a raised stage, and retail.
   
“A large guitar element pulls guests in with neon LED lights used as the instrument’s strings,” says Peak.  
  
Wooden textures, stones and warm colors were mixed with pops of red, hot pink and sparkling mosaic to distinguish the venue as a Hard Rock Cafe while integrating it with the rest of the Four Winds New Buffalo property. A modern interpretation of stacked stone is used on the entry walls and throughout the interior of the space. “The wooden textures were placed against smooth granite at the center bar, which also features a large canopy screen that serves as a lighting element and can feature a light show for concerts or special occasions,” says Peak. “The expansion of Four Winds New Buffalo is another step in fulfilling our long-term vision for the property,” said Matt Wesaw, chairman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.

OWNER: Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians
ARCHITECT AND INTERIOR DESIGNER: Hnedak Bobo Group
BUILDERS: The Christman Company & Kraus-Anderson Construction Company
THEME CONTRACTOR: Cost of Wisconsin

The road to establishing a casino at the legendary Aqueduct racetrack was long and winding. But when Malaysian gaming giant Genting finally won the bidding in 2009, the wait was well worth it.
   
The site is located near New York’s Kennedy Airport and at the gateway to the Long Island suburbs, and is connected to the rest of the city via the New York City mass transit system. Due to that favorable location, the property has quickly become the top slot machine performer in the nation.
   
As the lead architect, JCJ’s first task was to make it happen quickly.
   
“This was one of the most aggressive schedules we’ve ever undertaken,” says Eileen O’Brien, JCJ’s director of business development. “We divided the project into multiple phases and into multiple project teams, so there were many teams working simultaneously on various aspects of the entire project—headed by a group of team leaders providing oversight and cohesion throughout.”
   
Adding even more pressure was the fact that the project was Genting’s first project in the U.S.
   
“This was to be the flagship, so consequently needed to set the standard,” says O’Brien.
   
It was Genting’s plan to make the casino familiar to its target market: New Yorkers. So the various sections of the casino were given names that would make them feel at home: Times Square and Fifth Avenue casinos, the Central Park events center, and the Midtown Express restaurant.
   
But there were other reasons for the separation of the casinos.
   
“The owner’s desire for segmentation drove the general size and design preferences,” says O’Brien. “The casino design itself was created to house two distinct gaming experiences: a large casino to appeal to the mainstream crowd, and a separate casino that would appeal to the sophisticated player.”
   
The design style would also be comforting to New Yorkers.
   
“The vision was to be respectful of, and to incorporate, local iconography to underscore the authenticity of this being truly a New York enterprise,” she explains. “Design nods to landmark buildings such as Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building can be seen throughout.  More so in character statement than in any particular architectural style, there are subtle hints of New York’s grand Art Deco period, but with a modern interpretation.”
   
With 18 food and beverage outlets, 6,400 parking spaces, and 5,500 slot machines (a combination of VLTs and electronic table games), Resorts World New York provides a the first casino experience for New Yorkers in the city. Genting has discussed building a convention center adjacent to the casino, which would also include a hotel and the legalization of table games. Although nothing has been finalized, it would make Resorts World New York one of the premier casino destinations in the world.

OWNER: Genting New York
ARCHITECT & INTERIOR DESIGN: JCJ Architects
CONSTRUCTION: Tudor Perini
SIZE: 1,086,000 square feet (180,000-square-foot casino)
COST: $830 million total ($540 million hard construction cost)

Where else but in gaming can a symbol of capitalism gain the blessing of a communist government?
   
That’s exactly what will occur next year when MGM Resorts International and Asian Coast Development (Canada) Ltd. (ACDL) unveil the spectacular MGM Grand Ho Tram, Vietnam’s first large-scale integrated resort. A major role will be played by Steelman Partners—as the architect and in the areas of interior and lighting design, as well as a principal—for this historic endeavor. In 2008, the Vietnamese government awarded Asian Coast Development the first license to build a gaming resort. At least five more have followed, but this is billed as the signature architectural piece to announce Vietnam’s leap into gaming.
   
MGM Grand Ho Tram will be the first component of the $4.2 billion multi-site property.  Ho Tram Strip resort complex will be built along pristine beaches overlooking the South China Sea. It will be constructed on approximately 400 acres, 80 miles from Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam.
   
The master plan consists of five stunning resorts and a gorgeous golf course set on the white sand beaches of Ba Ria Vung Tau Province. This unique development opportunity in the temperate climate of southern Vietnam parallels the early growth of Las Vegas into a premier tourist destination.
   
The Ho Tram Strip will combine innovative architecture with lush natural surroundings to offer an exclusive and luxurious, experience-based alternative to Singapore and Macau.  The resort will feature  lavish Vegas-style entertainment rooms and acres of premium shopping and exceptional recreation facilities. The 1,100-room MGM Grand hotel and accompanying VIP cabanas figure to be a testament to luxury.
   
Other key features include an exclusive VIP area with private lounges, high-end retail shopping and convenience retail, landscaped gardens with water features and an exclusive pool with cabanas and pool bar.
   
The planned second phase of the MGM Grand Ho Tram includes a further 549 guest rooms and 14 VIP Villas, bringing the total number of five-star hotel rooms to 1,100 and completing the development of the first integrated resort.

Owners: MGM Resorts and Asian Coast Development
Architect: Steelman Partners
Size: Approximately 400 acres
Total Investment: $4.2 billion

The first two casinos that opened in Maryland demonstrated the realities of operating under the state’s onerous 67 percent revenue tax: Ocean Downs and Hollywood Casino Perryville are small venues in prime locations, built to draw maximum revenue on minimal investment.
   
In May, Cordish Companies broke that mold with the opening of Maryland Live!, a massive, first-class casino resort. It too is in a prime location—adjacent to the huge Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover—but unlike its predecessors, Cordish pulled out the stops with a $500 million investment and some of the industry’s premier architects and designers, who built a facility worthy of most Las Vegas casinos, but one that includes a lot of local flavor as well.
   
According to project architect Mike Larson of Klai Juba Architects, one of the challenges was to design a building that would fit nicely into the Arundel Mills Mall complex but would still stand out as stylish and unique. The other was an accelerated time schedule.
   
“Our goals were to make a good impression on this new market and deliver a property that integrates well into its context in order to deliver an exceptional experience to the guest and foster the symbiotic relationship that Maryland Live! has with its major retail neighbor,” Larson says. “This was achieved by studying the existing vehicular and pedestrian traffic patterns and working with them for a logical integration with the existing conditions.”
   
Another challenge was fitting a lot of square footage into a relatively small footprint. This was achieved by building the multi-level parking garage on top of the casino.
   
Inside, the challenge was a bit different—filling a massive 330,000 square feet of space without overwhelming the customers.
   
“The size of the overall gaming floor and property is double what a typical casino footprint is,” says interior designer Ann Fleming, a partner at Cleo Design. “We needed to create an interesting gaming environment that still feels intimate and warm, considering the scale of the facility.” This was accomplished with a color palette Fleming calls “warm and lively.”
   
“With the interjection of hot colors like pink, and coral within the red/umber/chocolate/cream palate, it allowed us to use quality materials and still be contemporary, young and fresh amid the timeless design details,” Fleming says.
   
The orientation of the building and parking garage posed a different challenge. “The ceiling height limitations forced us to be creative,” Fleming says. “We created floating ‘chandeliers’ that changed color throughout the day. There were also ‘ribbon’ ceiling paths created that also changed color and help lead the guest from one end of the casino to the other.”
   
Fleming says her favorite design feature is the central “R Bar,” in the middle of the casino floor. “It is an oval shape, so views to the bar are achieved in all directions within the casino floor.”
   
It also has added action—adjacent Interblock multi-player electronic table games—along with TV screens everywhere beaming sporting events. “The bar is high-energy,” says Fleming.
   
In fact, the whole facility is high-energy.

Owner: Cordish Companies
Architect: Klai Juba Architects
Interior Design: Cleo Design and Westar Architectural Group
Contractor: Commercial Interiors and TN Ward
Total Investment: $500 million

Set like a jewel in the center of downtown Melbourne, the Crown Entertainment Complex & Casino recently introduced a glittering new gaming space, the West End Casino at Crown.
   
A year-long, multimillion-dollar redevelopment brought sleek contemporary style to the addition, made possible when owner-operator Crown Ltd. won the right to add new gaming space to its enterprise.
   
The redevelopment was designed to appeal to a smart, affluent urban crowd that wants more from their visits than gambling. Along with a new gaming area, the do-over added public and retail spaces, a new restaurant and bar, three new terraces, and new and renovated restrooms, among other improvements—all brought to vivid life with streamlined silhouettes and dazzling architectural features.
   
“The scope of work was to create a new grand-scale entry feature, bold gaming floor, and ‘see and be seen’ bar-lounge with a patio that overlooks the Yarra River,” said Ken Kulas, principal of Cleo Design of Las Vegas.
   
A new premium gaming room includes two party suites, new cage and casino support areas, and a living room-style bar-lounge with a space for live entertainment.  
   
Owner-operator Crown Limited “wanted to change the perception of the Crown brand, and make it a place to visit during not only the weekend but also the week,” said Cleo Design principal Ann Fleming. “The wish was to bring a Las Vegas-type gaming environment, with a bolder and livelier color palette, more dynamic design details and new gaming offerings.”
  
Kulas and Fleming worked to change the Australian idea of gaming “to include a more social environment. They want the affluent 30-year-old to 60-year-old patron to come to the casino for good food and entertainment with gaming integrated.”

Owner: Crown Limited
Architect: HBO+EMTB, Australia
Interior Designer: Cleo Design
Contractor: Baulderstone
Total Investment: $50 million-plus

There have been a lot of casino hotel projects in Atlantic City over the past 34 years, though none have matched the anticipation and expectation of Revel. It took over three years, more than 70 design teams, and the backing of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie for the .4 billion project to see completion. With its debut in April, Revel has become Atlantic City’s first true destination resort and a lifestyle icon on the Boardwalk.  
   
From the start, Revel aimed to differentiate itself from other casino properties. Its emphasis was on creating a luxury “lifestyle experience,” where gaming was just one component of the overall asthetic. Bernardo Fort-Brescia, principal at Arquitectonica, the firm appointed as design architect of Revel, said that Kevin DeSanctis, the CEO of Revel Entertainment Group, had a “clear idea” of what he wanted to create. Fort-Brescia said the building reflects a “nautical sensuality and memory of the ocean beyond.”
   
With 6.3 million square feet of space, the smoke-free Revel takes full advantage of its beachfront location. The mirrored façade captures the rippling ocean and the curved lines give the building an organic, wave-like appearance. In fact, there is hardly a straight line to be found on the property. The 47-story tower, topped by a giant light ball that can be seen for miles, is the second-tallest building in New Jersey and the second-tallest casino tower in the U.S. Floor-to-ceiling windows in all the 1,898 hotel rooms—from an Ocean Room to a View Suite—offer sprawling views of the sea.
   
“Arquitectonica, SOSH Architects and BLT Architects, in conjunction with Revel, developed the most sensitive and unique architectural response linked with the sea and embedded in a neighborhood master plan that truly reflects a resort destination,” said Thomas Sykes, partner at SOSH Architects.
   
Unlike other properties in Atlantic City, Revel’s main entrance faces the ocean. The porte cochere is located just off the Boardwalk and is accessed through an underground garage. A white, sail-like canopy shades the area. On the upper level above this is the pool deck with several small wading pools lined with a series of cabanas that offer guests the chance to relax in the shade. Also on this level is an indoor/outdoor pool that will be heated year-round, accessed through large, retractable glass doors. Revel has 10 pools in all.
   
Up another level, which can also be accessed from the outside, is the SkyGarden, a lushly landscaped area 114 feet above the sea. The SkyGarden incorporates 20,000 plants, including native pine trees. The curved walking paths echo the lines throughout the casino and the space sports several outdoor fire pits.
   
Just inside Revel’s main entrance is the spectacular atrium, with two massive escalators leading to the upper levels. A sculpture called “Arrivals,” made up of 19,700 sparkling gold circles suspended on 650 steel cables (some 90 feet long), cascades down like a wind chime.
   
Revel’s Exhale spa covers 31,000 square feet. At its center is a coed bathhouse featuring a salt grotto, mineral pool, steam rooms and a beverage bar. The 32-room spa offers an extensive list of relaxation treatments, with a fitness studio and exercise classes housed nearby.
   
Light and air are the dominating design elements of this sleek, ultra-modern casino. The front desk area is lined by comfortable living rooms and strategically placed bars.
   
The casino floor also takes in the ocean view. The floor, with bright red carpets and oversized lantern-like fixtures, holds 2,400 slot machines and 160 table games, with an ample poker room on the second level.  
   
Working with the design firm Scéno Plus, which also designed the $75 million, 4,550-seat Ovation Hall showroom, the lights on the casino floor are programmed to reflect the time of day—bright yellows in the day, reds and oranges at dusk, darker tones in the evening.
   
“Collaboration was the key to success for this project,” said Tom O’Connor, partner at SOSH. With over 70 design firms playing a role in creating the resort, the project stands as one of the most challenging ever undertaken in Atlantic City.
   
DeSanctis said he feels the crowning achievement of Revel is its breathtaking lineup of ocean views, both from the rooms and from its outdoor decks and cabanas.
  
“You can never fully understand what the visuals are going to be of a place until it’s actually built,” he says. “I think most people will agree, when you go out on our decks, those areas are just spectacular. Most people will come back and say, ‘This is never what I visualized Atlantic City to be.’ And yet, it’s been here forever. Sometimes it just takes a different frame for people to understand what you have.”

Owner: Revel Entertainment Group
Architects: Arquitectonica, Design Architect;
BLT Architects, Executive Architect and Architect-of-Record for 75 percent of project; SOSH Architects, Architect-of-Record for the tower, casino, and multiple venues
Size: 6.3 million square feet
(150,000-square-foot casino)
Total Investment: $2.4 billion