Treasure Island Resort & Casino

Project: Treasure Island Resort & Casino
Location/Country: Welch, Minnesota | USA
Architect: RSP Architects, Minneapolis, MN | USA
Fabricator & Installer: Atomic Sheet Metal, Vadnais Heights, MN | USA
General Contractor: Knutson Construction, Minneapolis, MN | USA
Year of completion: 2017
Material: ALUCOBOND® PLUS
Color: Alabaster, Anodic Clear Mica, Bone White, Statuary Bronze, Custom Cheerful Yellow, Custom Magenta, Custom Nightfall
Photos: © Mark Kempf Photography

Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Welch, Minn., has undergone a series of renovations and expansions in recent years with the latest being the addition of Wolf Towers, featuring a seven-story north wing and an eight-story south wing with the upper floors offering scenic views of the Mississippi River and surrounding bluffs.

In addition to premiere accommodations, the hotel expansion features a new color scheme in its façade designed to create a “modern Miami feel,” according to Gordon Strom, AIA, CID, senior project manager, RSP Architects , headquartered in Minneapolis.

The two-tower hotel addition is clad in a total of 15,400 square feet of 4mm ALUCOBOND® PLUS aluminum composite material (ACM) by 3A Composites USA installed in several vibrant colors as accents to the hotel’s neutral brown-colored fiber cement cladding. ALUCOBOND® PLUS colors include: 3,900 square feet of Custom Magenta, 7,900 square feet of Bone White, 1,800 square feet of Anodic Clear, 800 square feet of Custom Nightfall and 1,000 square feet of Statuary Bronze.

“The property’s existing façade was very tired,” said Strom. “The hotel expansion features a clean, crisp look incorporating neutrals with a splash of color. … The main portion of the hotel is clad in brown cement board combined with metal accents that include a magenta metal frame design. The striking curved prow stands out with white metal panels. We also utilized an abundance of glass. All of these design elements helped us to create a modern, timeless feel.”

Atomic Architectural Sheet Metal, Inc., of Vadnais Heights, Minn., began fabrication of the approximately 1,400 ALUCOBOND® PLUS panels in mid-July and completed installation with Atomic’s dry-set system in late-November 2017. The hotel expansion celebrated its opening on Dec. 5, 2017.

“We definitely hit the timeline,” said Rick Schmidberger, project manager, Atomic Architectural Sheet Metal. “Color wise, we hit the mark installing each ALUCOBOND color in its own area. One of the most interesting features of the hotel is the big white radius element on the end of the building. When you’re driving up to the resort and look over the crest, the first thing you see is the big white tower. And, as you drive around it, the magenta framing really pops. We’re really proud to have been a part of this project.”

One of the most popular resort expansions was its first new project – The Lagoon – an approximately 25,000 square-foot waterpark that includes a 320-foot lazy river and slides for families, an adults-only pool and the only swim-up bar in Minnesota. The Lagoon also houses the new Wave Spa, a full-service salon and spa. Since opening in February 2016, The Lagoon significantly has increased demand for hotel rooms leading to the Wolf Towers’ expansion.

The Lagoon pavilion was clad in a total of 16,240 square feet of 4mm ALUCOBOND® PLUS ACM in three colors, including: 10,011 square feet of Bone White, 2,329 square feet of Alabaster and 3,900 square feet of Custom Cheerful Yellow.

“We wanted to create a design for The Lagoon that was much more dramatic and sculptural,” said Ian Scott, LEED AP, who served as principal, RSP Architects, before his passing in December 2017. “The metal panels really helped us. The white color gave us a fresh change and clean break (from the property’s original salmon-colored facade). The idea was to have one form with two identities that would angle up to the bluffs and river. We were able to utilize one material to create two sculptural shapes.

When you look at the two colors of white panels from a certain angle, there’s a subtle change in color. The yellow metal panels are more dramatic and provide the design with a pop in color that is complimentary but brighter than the white metal panels.”

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