A combination of insulated metal panels (IMPs), glass, wood and stone all cover the ilani Casino Resort in Ridgefield, Wash. Chosen by architects at Friedmutter Group, Las Vegas, this mixed medium of materials was designed to reflect the culture of the Northwest with unique aesthetic cues that pay tribute to the heritage of the local Cowlitz Indian Tribe.
Mixture of materials reflects local culture in unique aesthetic cues
The ilani Casino is a joint development between the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and the Mohegan Tribe, which is based in Uncasville, Conn. Construction on the project began in early 2016 and includes a $32 million upgrade to a nearby freeway interchange.
Situated on 152 acres, the approximately 40,000-square-foot casino includes more than 2,500 slot machines and 75 tables throughout 100,000 square feet of dedicated gaming space. The casino also has entertainment and retail areas, as well a variety of restaurants, including Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse, Line & Lure, Rose & Thorn, Longhouse, and a food court. The project also includes a 2,500-seat meeting and entertainment venue that hosts nationally recognized performances.
Chuck Jones, senior vice president with Friedmutter Group, says the project showcases a number of design elements inspired by the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. “The entrance area—the porch—takes its design cue from a blunt-nose canoe,” he says, which is the Cowlitz Tribe’s historical means of transportation, carved to move fluidly through whitewater rapids. “And the iridescent metal panels were inspired by fish scales. The majority of the other elements are featured within the casino interior.”
Other features include light fixtures inspired by woven basket headwear, and images of violet camas flowers are shown throughout the casino floor carpet.
For the exterior, the building features more than 75,000 square feet of Lewisville, Texas-based Metl-Span’s 2 1/2-inch CF Architectural IMPs in Champagne and Medium Gray. Jones says the color recommendations came from the design team. “The Champagne worked well in tandem with the stone, wood and other metal cladding elements.”
Focused on meeting energy codes, Friedmutter Group placed a high emphasis on the building envelope’s overall thermal performance. Jones says the decision to specify IMPs was based on a recommendation from the building owners, which proved to be an ideal fit to handle the region’s notoriously unpredictable weather. “Insulated metal panels are a fairly cost-effective way to skin a building, especially in that climate,” Jones says. “It ended up being more suitable than using an EIFS system.”