This is a collection of the most creative restaurant designs in the world, from risky and modern to traditional and laid back. This compilation of vivid photographs and detailed layouts gives examples ...
With 2 million square feet of space, the new MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., is the largest casino in North America. Wilson Associates, the Dallas-based interior architectural design firm, crafted the $700 million space.
Aimed a young clientele, Wilson Associates' design for the property capitalizes on warm but contemporary materials and state-of the-art technology. The palette of earth tones drawn from the surrounding rivers and forests moves the look forward from the neon of casinos past. The project encompasses the main lobby, 825 guest rooms and suites, a 21,000-square-foot spa, a 4,000-seat MGM Grand Theater, 50,000 square feet of casino gaming area, an entertainment lounge and meetings and convention space that features the largest ballroom in the Northeast. All this was completed in less than 20 months.
"The design and construction schedule was very aggressive, so organization was critical in keeping the project moving," says Wilson Associates principal James Carry. "Our project team included employees from our Dallas and New York offices, so we stayed in close communication to ensure a coordinated work flow."
The new Foxwoods casino might be the latest jewel in MGM's crown, but it's by no means its last. Projects in the pipeline include a resort in Atlantic City set to open in 2011; the City Center in Las Vegas, opening the third quarter of 2009; and an MGM Abu Dhabi is opening in 2011 or 2012. MGM also is in discussions for non-gaming hotels in other parts of the world, including China, the Middle East and Europe.
Did you enjoy this article? Click here to subscribe to the magazine.
