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Ameristar Casino Conference Center
Award of Merit: Interior Design/Fitout
The Ameristar Casino Conference Center in St. Charles, Mo.,
was completed with top finishes.
The internally lit onyx walls are equipped with a light-emitting-diode
system that operates independently of the main lighting.
Lights in the public spaces are connected to a Lutron computerized
dimming system, allowing for the appropriate mood depending
on the event.
About 95 ceiling-mounted speakers are connected to a fully automated
Janus scheduling system controlled by a central computer with
meeting and ballroom schedules displayed on 12 15-in. monitors
and five 42-in. monitors.
A majority of the wall space in the main ballroom is covered
with acoustical stretch wall fabric to keep noise to a minimum.
Other elements include custom-made light fixtures, audio visual
systems and kitchen facilities for full banquets.
The 65,000-sq.-ft. facility contains a ballroom, junior ballroom,
five meeting rooms, business center and boardroom with video-conferencing
capabilities.
The facility was a shell next to an operational casino, leaving
the team members with the build-out work.
Delivering Finishes
A key issue was delivering the finishes.
Ceilings were exposed from the floor below to reinforce the
floor of the conference center to receive many finishes along
with the installation of the plumbing.
This work had to be performed off-hours and in some cases
within kitchen areas and other venues requiring the permission
of the managers or chefs of those facilities.
Often the work could not be completed due to conflicts with
the existing casino operations and was rescheduled for a later
date, forcing the team into creative scheduling.
The sometimes exotic finishes, like the onyx for the feature
wall at the ballroom's vestibule and prefunction area, is
internally illuminated in a custom frame with translucent
stone onyx panels. These act as panes within a frame, giving
the area a warm glow. The stone is imported from China along
with many of the custom light fixtures.
Several light fixtures required remanufacturing to meet building
code requirements.
Jury Comments: "It's outstanding in terms of color. It's
kind of hard to overlook. For this type of project, it was
important to have a quality interior."
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