Live ! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia • Philadelphia , Pennsylvania
The first two new casino properties in Pennsylvania to open amid the ongoing
Covid-19 pandemic are owned by Baltimore-based Cordish Companies . The first was a satellite casino , Live ! Pittsburgh , in the Westmoreland Mall in Western Pennsylvania . The second , which opened February 11 , is the Cordish flagship in the state , Live ! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia .
Many of the basic design and amenity offerings of the new hotel-casino follow the lead of Cordish ’ s Live ! Casino & Hotel Maryland , opened seven years earlier . That includes elements like the R Bar , a sports-oriented electronic table game area , and the Sports & Social brand of sports bar .
However , Live ! Philadelphia is a totally unique project , thanks in large part to its dedication to the local market — and more specifically , to Philly sports . The casino is located in the heart of Philadelphia ’ s Stadium District , where the arenas and stadiums of all the city ’ s professional sports teams are located within a few blocks of each other .
The new casino-hotel reflects this , with references to the city ’ s sports teams throughout , including the Sports & Social brand wrapped around the Cordish FanDuel Sportsbook concept — sports wagering in a best-in-class sports bar , featuring a 500-foot-long LED screen and different styles of entertainment . There ’ s even a large foosball table .
But Philadelphia-based BLT Architects went beyond the sports connection to reflect the city in every aspect , from the casino entrance that replicates Robert Indiana ’ s famous “ LOVE ” sculpture at the Love Park plaza in downtown Philadelphia to killer views of the city from state-of-the-art hotel rooms .
The 510,000-square-foot Live ! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia includes a 100,000-square-foot-plus casino featuring 2,200 slot positions , including 74 electronic table games . There are 121 table games with plans to expand to 150 , a dedicated 29-table poker room , a six-room Event Center that includes 15,000 square feet of customizable meeting / entertainment event space , and a variety of food and beverage options that include a number of local favorites .
BLT Architects created a high-energy casino floor , featuring an undulating metal panel ribbon that wraps the casino and garage facades and a metal and glass hotel tower . “ The building design is intended to reflect the high energy of the amenities within , provide a strong presence when viewed from the adjacent highways , and present dynamic architectural forms that complement the adjacent large-scale stadiums and arena ,” according to the firm ’ s project description .
Many of the finer details of the restaurants , sports bar and other amenities also benefit from intricate woodwork by Quebec , Canada-based Beaubois . Beaubois woodwork can be seen throughout the signature steakhouse , the Luk Fu Asian restaurant , the distinctive sports bar , and more .
“ This includes an extensive range of craftsmanship and materials , from marble countertops in the restaurants and gold-plated Chinese characters integrated into custom furniture ,” Beaubois stated in its project description , “ to a remarkable oval-shaped rustic larch bar and leather booths in both restaurants and the back-of-house ... In the bars and back-bars , copper , glass and brass accents create a dramatic look and feature a range of custom finishes and colors .”
Most dining areas showcase high ceilings with rustic larch beams , which Beaubois developed in collaboration with engineers to guarantee their structural stability . Other ceilings brought together by Beaubois feature decorative black steel beams and an acrylic cloudscape .
The project incorporated an extensive array of materials , finishes , colors , and techniques .
OWNER : The Cordish Companies ARCHITECT : BLT Architects WOODWORK : Beaubois GENERAL CONTRACTOR : Gilbane Building Company PROJECT COST : $ 700 million INTERIOR DESIGN : Klai Juba Architects , Jeffrey Beers International and Hirsch Bedner Associates
14 CASINO STYLE 2021