The global gaming industry is becoming increasingly characterised by cutting-edge projects and developments. Ever since the new wave of Las Vegas developments began to spring up in the 1960s, operators have become aware that design is one of the most critical aspects of any given casino project. And as gaming revenue is continuing to represent less and less of the overall property top line, the issue of casino design is perhaps now more pertinent than ever...
Jay Sarno, a Las Vegas business entrepreneur, is often attributed to having shaped southern Nevada, and many credit him with being the father of today’s more family-oriented Strip. In 1964, Sarno began to build the Caesars Palace Hotel. The idea was first met with scepticism because many considered a European-style hotel in the middle of an American desert to be a business failure in the making. The hotel, however, was designed in such a way that each of its amenities could only be accessed by passing the casino first. This, in turn, led to people being tempted to try their luck in the casino area, making Caesars Palace a highly profitable business venture.
Following the development of Caesars Palace, Sarno and partner Stanley Mallin opened one of Las Vegas’ first family-oriented venues, the Circus Circus. The themed attraction featured a circus tent with daily acts, and Sarno would dress up as a ringmaster and attend to families and children personally. Sarno’s idea was that, while children could go and have fun at the circus, their parents would spend money at the casino.
While debates over who started the Las Vegas Strip continue to this day, there is no question that Sarno changed its design forever. However, while Sarno made huge strides in thematic casino deign, the first true signs of contemporary classiness are often attributed to renowned developer Steve Wynn.
After previously acquiring interests in various existing casinos, Wynn’s first major Strip casino, the Mirage, set a new standard for size and lavishness - and had construction costs to match. Opened in November 1989, the Mirage featured an indoor forest and an outdoor ‘volcano.’ With high-quality room appointments and a strong emphasis on service, it was a great success. Financed largely with junk bonds issued by Michael Milken, it was considered a risky venture because of its high cost and emphasis on luxury. However, it proved to be enormously successful and made Wynn a part of Las Vegas history.
Wynn expanded his concept in the luxury Bellagio resort, which included an artificial lake; indoor conservatory; an art gallery displaying museum-quality works; restaurants; and branches of high-end boutiques. The Bellagio is credited with starting a new spree of luxurious developments in Las Vegas, such as the Venetian, Mandalay Bay, and Paris Las Vegas.
The development of Caesars Palace Hotel marked the beginning of what can only be described as a renaissance in casino design. It is interesting to note that psychological considerations over the layout of a location remain extremely important to this day. Angel Sueiro, vice-president of Impacto, which manages all the design and construction for Thunderbird Resorts, said: “Traffic flow and how people circulate through the different amenities of the casino is crucial. Casinos must always look full of people since big, empty boxes discourage customers. In addition, the casino must invoke a sense of discovery, to make people think ‘what’s behind that corner?’”
Wynn played an instrumental role in changing the face of casino design from relying solely on crude, blinking neons and mirrored ceilings to becoming more refined, sophisticated and aesthetic constructions. Visitor traffic to the Strip is now more than 35 million annually, and a spate of new restaurants, hotels and high-end residences are scrambling to reproduce Wynn’s success in using high design to charm the masses.
In April 2007, Friedmutter Group Architectural and Interior Design Studios took home four awards from the American Gaming Association’s G2E Institute event for its architectural and interior design work on Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa. The company’s founder and Chief executive, Brad Friedmutter, was honoured with the 2007 Sarno Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the industry. Named after the aforementioned godfather of casino design, the Sarno Award is the highest honour for any individual involved in the design and construction of casino resorts.
The Red Rock Resort, which opened in Las Vegas in April 2006, was designed with a ‘desert modern’ motif that seeks to evoke the natural beauty of the nearby Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. The property’s design features a lavish use of fine woods, marbles, stones, crystals and glass. As such, it is considered by many to be the most luxurious off-Strip casino in Las Vegas.
Friedmutter’s design concepts embrace the fact that casinos think big: they have restaurants, hotels, theatres and beauty halls. They also have big budgets. The casino industry, however, is not without risk. Casino construction is a high-pressure game of big stakes. Each day that the doors are closed means lost revenue. And casinos seeking to outdo the competition are upping the ante when it comes to design.
“Brad has a reputation for understanding how important it is to get these buildings open as quickly as possible, with the quality level everyone expects,” said John Redmond, president and chief executive of MGM Grand.
Design firms remain tied to the buoyancy of the industry, and it is perhaps for this reason that, when it comes to design, both architects and operators place an emphasis on collaboration. Industry giant International Game Technology, which has its own casino design service, elaborates: “Designing the optimal floor layout and mix is one of the most challenging and time-consuming aspects of casino operation. Yet, the importance of this task cannot be underestimated because the better the layout and mix, the better the bottom line.”
IGT’s casino design services department has created hundreds of floor plans for casinos of all sizes. The firm uses hi-tech computer-aided design tools to produce layouts that meet the specific needs of the customer. The company places a strong emphasis on collaboration, where information is gathered about not only patrons, but also the operator’s competitive situation and the types of games to feature in the venue.
Bob Hill, co-owner of Dougall Design Associates, which came to prominence in the 1990s and is now one of the top theme and interior design firms in the US gaming industry, claims that different casino operators have their own unique set of values. And the fact that designers and architectural firms must work around these differing sets of philosophies highlights the diversity of the industry.
Westar Architects, a well-established, mid-sized boutique design firm, cites in its core values the “ability to create quality projects while consistently managing to serve the needs of clients.” The company was formed in 1997 and boasts Harrah’s Entertainment, Venetian Hotel Casino, Trump Casino, and MGM Mirage among its clients. Paul Heretakis, a partner in the company, said it is crucial that the design of a casino complements both the entertainment and competitive factors of gaming. “Caesars Player’s Lounge was designed to replicate an elegant Roman villa,” the company said. Indeed, Byzantine movement sets the tone, and guests follow pathways that are bordered by a marble colonnade. Over 3,000sq.ft of hand-laid gold leaf graces the barrel vault entry and pathway’s ceilings.
Lavrenty Gubin, a spokesperson for Russian operator Storm International, noted that while casino design is highly subjective, there are some constant demands. “Exterior design should be visible, bright and stylish, but without vulgar elements,” he said. The interior, in our opinion, should be warm, as players feel more comfortable in a home-like atmosphere. It is better to split the space into zones by podium. Small elements like paintings, statuettes and lamps play an important role in terms of creating a cosy atmosphere and should meet the common design as well as the furniture and gaming equipment. “A high ceiling is beneficial for a casino, as you have more space for lights and design elements,” Gubin added.
Heretakis confirmed this view, stating that Westar always influences the ceiling plan with the gaming layout. “We create grand sweeping plan movements that create focal points and a sense of discovery and surprise. The slots and tables are grouped into zones within the space and are experienced in smaller easier to understand areas of excitement,” he said.
In some respects, Sarno’s legacy is still going strong in the casinos. Cash desks in modern casinos are usually found as far from the entrance as possible, and there is never a direct line between the entrance and cash desks. Despite this however, Hill of Dougall Design noted that the casino industry is currently in the midst of a sea change. “People no longer visit casino resorts just to gamble,” he said.
Although the casino floor itself acts as a hub of all activity in modern mega-resorts, they are attracting less and less footfall. Continued emphasis on shopping, dining and leisure facilities in new resorts means customers no longer need to even set foot in the gambling hall. As a result, Dougall Design has made a conscious shift away from Sarno-esque psychological tactics. The Mandalay Bay is one of the first examples of a site in which customers do not have to pass through the casino to get to their room. “And visitor numbers are actually increasing,” said Hill.
Jonathan Douglass, managing principle at US architectural firm VOA Associates, confirmed this standpoint: “Many casino hotels assume that the guests need to walk through the casino to get to the room. We though they should be able to make a choice how to engage their experience.”
Dick Rizzo, chairman of Perini Building Company, notes a further shift away from tradition. He stated that ‘theming’ was being gradually replaced by sleek, contemporary design. Perini has been involved in renovating some of California’s biggest casinos. This included the recent expansion of San Diego County’s Viejas Casino, which, according to Rizzo, is “very contemporary in nature.”
Rizzo hinted that the shifting parameters for casino design could be due to operators’ desire to attract a younger crowd. “There’s a trend…based on attracting the under-40 people,” says Rizzo. “They are the new gamblers. The focus is on the entertainment, quality of restaurants and venues you can create for them. They like contemporary stuff.”
This effort to attract younger customers through contemporary design is perhaps best exemplified by the fact that, in November 2006, designer Vera Wang teamed up with Las Vegas-based casino developer, Eighth Wonder, to design two floors of a casino hotel and wedding pavilions.
Contemporary casino architects are constantly trying to get ahead of style and trends. And although soft theming is still prevalent in casinos around the world, it has been suggested that people are beginning to adopt the mindset that although recreation themes are fun, they can soon wear thin. As a result, architects are striving to create unique, modern resorts. All this, however, comes at a cost - and more money is being spent on casinos then ever before.
Interestingly, although younger people may want glitz and glam, trends are not the same everywhere and for everyone. Fred Nolta, group manager of San Diego-based Roel Construction Company, said: “All are different depending on the marketplace. Lots of clientele don’t want to go into a fancy casino because they think they are paying for it. They might want a more modest place where they feel that the odds are looser.” Again it comes back to the issue of subjectivity. A design might be successful works in one place, but this does not guarantee it will be successful in another.
Somethings, however, remain certain: word of mouth is key, and a strong image will stand out. When customers walk in, operators have one chance to make them say “Wow!” and give them something to tell their friends. “The most important element is to be reliable through all the casino experience,” continued Sueiro. “Every point of action or contact with the customer will have different levels of intensity, or even different decor and theme, but above all, they must share the same message.”
Interestingly, while all spaces in a resort should be as visually exciting as the gaming floor, Sueiro noted that “gambling machines and tables are the heart of the business. The main risk of design brainstorming meetings is to focus too much on the non-gaming components, and expecting them to bring traffic on their own. If those components are built right, they should be able to survive and make money by themselves, without been subsidised by the casino. And yes, they will bring traffic, and will even become a tool to compete against other entertainment operators. But at the end of the day, we depend totally on our capacity to create a gaming environment that attracts the core of the casino players, while at the same time generating a personal connection between the customers and the company.”
Although issues of casino design have been important since before Jay Sarno laid the foundations to the iconic Caesars Palace Hotel, the casino industry of today is so dynamic that both operators and architects are in constant need to improve and adapt. “The needs of every kind of gambler are different, and the design must incorporate this as an important factor,” said Sueiro. “Casinos should be flexible enough to transform and constantly react to - or anticipate - new circumstances. Ultimately, the design must encourage this constant process of improvement.”
