Boiling Over
RX BOILER ROOM , MANDALAY
BAY Las Vegas , Nevada
CELEBRITY CHEF RICK MOONEN made a huge splash in Las Vegas when he opened rm seafood in 2005 , the rare seafood restaurant in Las Vegas that actually delivered fresh and sustainable fish and crustaceans . He has now created his Rx Boiler Room on the top floor of his existing rm seafood restaurant at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas .
This new restaurant is the chef ’ s “ playhouse ,” allowing guests to indulge in the chef ’ s alter ego . The interior celebrates the sub-genre associated with science fiction and inspired by industrialized Western civilization of the 19th century affectionately known as steampunk . From industrial hardware to swooping velveteen fabrics , the steampunkinspired elements surrounding the dining experience evoke Moonen ’ s creative process of playful pairing , inventive illustration and culinary mixing .
The bar dazzles with its high energy amid a
haphazard collection of tools and artifacts . It is a stage with mixologists performing their “ magic .” Imagine Jules Verne using scrap materials to create wondrous machines of an imaginary future , and you ’ ll have an idea of what Moonen was dreaming when he conceived this concept .
The expert mixologists “ perform ” with a variety of appliances and unexpected materials , such as blocks of ice , to keep everyone guessing as to the next cocktail produced . The innovative operations take surgical skills to produce libations like none other .
Of course , the food is the star of the show , as Moonen puts a new take on “ comfort food ” served on large and small plates . Perfect for sharing , some of the menu items include brioche toast with tomato jam with bacon wrapped around a sunny-side-up quail egg , braised oxtail croquettes with a lemon aioli , a Greek-style lamb osso bucco , and a very playful calamari and meatballs in squid ink tomato sauce , all served in both the playfully lush dining rooms and at the interactively intimate bar .
— ROGER GROS
INTERIOR DESIGNER : Cleo Design ARCHITECT : Moser Architecture Studio DESIGN DIRECTOR : Roni Fields Design CONTRACTOR : Tré Builders
Harbor Master
SENECA BUFFALO CREEK
CASINO Buffalo , New York
THE SENECA BUFFALO CREEK CASINO in Buffalo , New York completed its final phase in August , a keystone in revitalizing Buffalo ’ s Inner Harbor area . Reviving this underused industrial property was a special interest for the Seneca Nation , which has historical ties to this land .
Paul Bell , project manager , and Nathan Peak , lead designer for Hnedak Bobo Group , say a critical design factor is that the casino is two blocks from Niagara Center , home of the NHL ’ s Buffalo Sabres .
“ We did master-plan studies with how it would work with that planned downtown district area ,” Bell says . “ Rather than enclosing it as an island , we wanted many access points to other businesses . Plugging into what was already there and what was already happening was pretty exciting .” They oriented the casino ’ s size , gaming , food and beverage to attract from the surrounding community and fuel Inner Harbor ’ s redevelopment .
The Seneca Nation wanted to create a world-class gaming destination to capture Buffalo ’ s regional gaming market . But that was only part of it .
“ The corner of the building we dedicated to a park , where there is a small hill ,” says Bell . “ We carved through the middle of that hill , and set aside a quarter of the site to a park . We wanted to make the core large enough to accommodate art festivals and other multi-faceted events . There was a lot of commitment from the Seneca Nation to invest in a public-space area .”
“ That created design challenges ,” adds Peak . “ We had a fixed site , and one block of downtown parking was not sufficient , so we had to have a parking garage ( four levels with 725
spaces ). We balanced that with the open space . It added a lot of breadth and decompression .”
The 64,000-square-foot , $ 130 million Buffalo Creek Casino has 808 slots , 18 table games , a high-limit slots area , the 24-seat BC Café , the 120-seat Buffalo Savors restaurant and the 50-seat Stixx Sports Bar , set in the center of the casino floor . A hockey theme dominates with a 360-degree sculpture of Baltic Birch plywood sticks representing abstract hockey sticks . Mirrors behind the bar are backlit to suggest ice . A lacrosse netting pattern is woven into the carpeting .
The project originated in 2008 on a much larger scale with an existing steel frame . “ We designed the building reusing 90 percent of that steel ,” says Bell . “ That was a huge savings to the owner and a sustainable design approach . That should be of interest to anyone who has a similar situation .”
Working closely with the tribe , the team abstracted tribal elements and integrated them into the design . “ We abstracted a single feather into a pylon ,” says Peak . “ The interstate is elevated , so passing motorists look down on the casino . That was a very important design element . The pylon is illuminated 70 feet tall from the base .”
Smaller pylons , one for each of the nation ’ s clans , light the Seneca Walk leading to the entrance . The casino ’ s interior design represents cultural elements , with a “ Tree of Peace ” drawing the eye to the center of the gaming floor .
— DAVID ROSS
OWNER : The Seneca Nation ARCHITECT : Hnedak Bobo Group
CONTRACTOR : Seneca Construction Management Corporation
INVESTMENT : $ 130 million
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