ISLE ATMOSPHERE
ISLE OF CAPRI CASINO
Cape Girardeau , Missouri
EVERY BUILDING PROJECT brings excitement , but the question is , what kind ?
There are times when the excitement occurs naturally — finding the large parcel of land , opening the financial spigots and creating magic . On other occasions , there are obstacles . Yet even challenges can be exciting , like building a floating casino near the New Madrid Fault . That was the case for Isle Casino Cape Girardeau , a project involving Kuhlmann Design Group , Inc . of St . Louis . It called for several unique design challenges , and the final product proved to be a spectacle when the casino opened in October 2012 .
The project location just north of the historic downtown district and adjacent to Cape Girardeau ’ s concrete levee wall needed to be within 1,000 feet of the Mississippi River . Over 50 parcels of land making up over eight square blocks were consolidated . Main Street was upgraded and rerouted to accommodate the development . The building structure needed to comply with Missouri regulations calling for a floating casino floor . The location near the fault required a design of the super structure , basin and barge . Despite these significant design challenges , KdG designed a dramatic and seamless casino that blurs the transitions between the barge and land-based pavilion .
The colorful and modern casino offers patrons 948 gaming positions , a 700-seat event center , buffet , fine dining restaurant , sports bar , express café and lounge overlooking the Mississippi River .
Throughout the planning process , discussion revolved around operational flexibility . By placing the fine dining , sports bar , express café and second-floor lounge along the south end of the casino floor , for example , operators could consolidate kitchens for increased efficiency and flexibility . However , state law required control points at points of entry for the gaming floor . The design solution was a feature stair tower and two monumental sliding doors .
The doors on the tower can be configured four ways , allowing the operator choice of venue accessibility directly from the casino floor or lobby . Within this tower , a seismic steel support was left exposed as a dynamic design element . — DAVE BONTEMPO
OWNER / OPERATOR : Isle Of Capri Casinos , Inc . PROJECT ARCHITECT : Kuhlmann Design Group , Inc . INTERIOR DESIGN : Kuhlmann Design Group , Inc . TOTAL INVESTMENT : $ 70 million
HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD
HOLLYWOOD CASINO AT KANSAS SPEEDWAY
Kansas City , Missouri
WHEN IT OPENED IN FEBRUARY 2012 , the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway became the first Las Vegas-style gaming hall in the Sunflower State . And while it offers all the amenities of a first-class Vegas resort — from a 95,000- square-foot gaming floor to top-flight restaurants and bars — in style , in attitude and in name itself , the Hollywood is more reminiscent of another great American destination : Tinseltown .
The $ 400 million investment , a joint venture of Penn National Gaming and International Speedway Corp . for the Kansas Lottery , is located on 100 acres in Kansas City and overlooks the second turn of the popular Kansas Speedway , home of the NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series .
Despite the clear influence of the Motor Age , inside the casino looks and feels like Hollywood , from its gilded Art Deco-style porte cochere to interior architecture featuring bold geometric shapes , lavish ornamentation , regal columns and dramatic lighting .
Visual references to Hollywood ’ s Golden Age recur throughout the property from subtle cues in the ceiling treatments to a more emphatic statement in a scrolled design element above the casino floor , which resembles an unfurled filmstrip . The look is developed with more Art Deco details and video displays that intersperse promotional content with classic film clips .
The Hollywood theme continues in the food and beverage outlets with the aptly named Marquee Café , Epic Buffet , Final Cut Steakhouse , and Hollywood and Grind Coffee and Pastry Shop .
The colorful casino has 2,000 slot machines and more than 50 table games . The project , which was delivered under budget and six weeks ahead of schedule , also includes a 1,250-car parking garage , and is master-planned for expansion . A hotel with convention space could be added , along with an entertainment district featuring additional restaurants and bars .
— MARJORIE PRESTON
ARCHITECTS : Yaeger Architecture Inc . with Marnell Architecture
INTERIOR DESIGN : Genesis Associates , Inc . CONTRACTOR : Turner Construction Company TOTAL INVESTMENT : $ 400 million
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