Towering Achievement CROWN TOWERS PERTH, PERTH, AUSTRALIA YWS
THE MOST LUXURIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS at the new Crown Towers Perth will set you back a bit. “You’re looking at about $20,000 to stay at the top villa,” Crown Ltd. CEO Barry Felstead says of the lavish six-star hotel tower, on track for a December opening. Crown Towers aspires to be not just the finest hotel in Perth, but the tallest in the city and the most opulent in Australia. The $568 million, 25-story structure will add 500 new rooms to the complex, for a total of 1,200. Amenities will include a new VIP gaming hall, a full-service spa, a business center and convention complex, and abundant retail and dining options. The latter will include internationally renowned brands such as Nobu, Silks, Bistro Guillaume, Rockpool and Epicurean. The look is truly luxe. Designed by YWS Design & Architecture, the tower’s architectural aesthetic is one of contemporary elegance. It all starts at the dramatic podium. Arriving guests are greeted by a series of seven-
Refined Rustic
CHOCTAW GRANT CASINO RESORT, GRANT, OKLAHOMA Hnedak Bobo Group (HBG)
LAST SUMMER, THE CHOCTAW NATION of Oklahoma broke ground on a comprehensive expansion and renovation of its Choctaw Grant Casino Resort in the community of Grant. On August 18, tribal leaders and state and local officials turned the first shovels for the project, to be designed and built by the Hnedak Bobo Group (HBG). The project will improve the resort’s existing operation and alleviate traffic while adding exciting new amenities. The expansion includes: • A new 96-room hotel tower featuring 23 luxury suites; • A new lobby and check-in that will create an enhanced arrival experience for hotel guests, with a sundry, valet, bellhop and business center; • An expanded swimming pool and outdoor bar nestled in a tropical garden;
meter-high glass wall panels and stone columns. The distinctive aesthetic continues in the lobby, where an atrium, skylights and expanses of glass bring in abundant light and picturesque views. A multi-tiered pool area will be a relaxing retreat for guests, who can enjoy luxury cabanas and a cocktail bar surrounding a circular infinity pool. Large outdoor patios and cantilevered roofs will offer shade and protection. With event spaces such as the Great Lawn and the palatial Crown Ballroom, Crown Towers Perth “will surpass even the most seasoned traveler’s expectations,” according to a
statement from Crown. Felstead goes a step further, saying the hotel tower overlooking the Swan River will be “the best hotel in Australia, there is no doubt. “It will be absolutely magnificent.” —Marjorie Preston
• An exclusive new poker room and 125 new slot machines; and, • Food and beverage options including a new 155-seat bar and grill; an expansion of the popular Firehouse Buffet; and a convenient new grab-and-go coffee shop.
The designers also drew inspiration from the Oklahoma landscape: grain stalks blowing in the fields, the vast open sky, and a natural palette of deeply contrasting colors. The team was especially taken with the shape and texture of the area’s weather-worn grain silos. The aged structures have a timeless, iconic aesthetic that combines wood and metal in a multitude of patterns, textures and patinas. This raw materiality within a distinctive contemporary form creates visual interest and consistency among new and existing building elements. “Choctaw red” color accents throughout the resort will further reinforce the brand. The resort will remain open throughout construction, which is expected to be complete in June 2017. —Edward Healy
HBG designers coined the term “refined rustic” to describe the design approach. At once contemporary, edgy and pastoral, the concept builds on the Choctaw brand’s warm color palette as well as the existing property’s transitional styling, natural textures and materials and wood accents.
OWNER-OPERATOR: Crown Ltd.
DESIGNER: YWS Design & Architecture BUILDER: Brookfield Multiplex
MATERIALS: 2,500 tons of steel INVESTMENT: $568 million
OWNER-OPERATOR: Choctaw Nation of
Oklahoma
ARCHITECT/INTERIOR DESIGNER:
Hnedak Bobo Group (HBG)
EMPLOYMENT: Estimated 80 new jobs
INVESTMENT: $50 million
2016 CASINO STYLE l 11