Unlimited design possibilities, seemingly sky’s-the-limit budgets and “let’s build the best ever” attitudes — yep, building a casino sure does sound appealing to an architect these days. It was no different in the early ‘70s, a pre-Atlantic City era marked by major construction and expansion on the Las Vegas Strip, with a number of high-profile casino hotels — spurred by Kirk Kerkorian’s MGM Grand (now Bally’s LV) in 1973 — raising the bar of opulence and class when it came to gaming properties.
This all certainly appealed to a young Barry Thalden, AIA, who — with “nothing but a vision and a prayer”— in 1971 had just founded Saunders Thalden and Associates in St. Louis. He initially focused on designing theme parks, large commercial properties, multi-family residential buildings and, of course, hotels. However, Thalden soon realized where the real action was. “Being in the hotel design industry, it didn’t take long for me to realize that 19 of the world’s 20 largest hotels were in Las Vegas,” he said.
By 1983, when over-the-top and as-yet unrivaled construction was really roaring across Las Vegas, Thalden’s firm was providing drawings for casino expansions up and down the Strip — Caesars Palace, the Sands, Desert Inn, Frontier, Tropicana and the Castaways. He has been at it ever since. “You know you have been doing this for a long time when they start tearing your buildings down to make way for newer ones,” Thalden said. More recently, the firm participated in the new wave of mega-resorts in Las Vegas, including the theme drawings for the Venetian Casino Resort project — Thalden says theming has always been a special talent of the firm.
The firm didn’t limit its innovation and creativity to the Strip — or even land, for that matter.
In the 1990s, riverboats brought a new wave of casinos across the country, and the firm was positioned at the leading edge, working on riverboat casinos in Missouri, Mississippi, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and along the Gulf Coast. “While many in the gaming industry originally considered riverboat casinos a stupid idea,” Thalden said, “I was convinced it could be a big growth area for gaming, as casinos could spread across the country. As a result, I think we designed more riverboat casinos than anyone.”
Many of these casino designs were being conceived by a talented young architect, Rich Emery, who joined Thalden in 1982 as a summer intern. Now, after more than 25 years with the firm, Emery is the partner in charge of design and heads the office in St. Louis. As for why he has stayed with the firm for the entirety of his career, Emery says the decision came down to the work. “It always gets better!” he said. “I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Design is constantly evolving in the world of the casino industry, and being on the forefront of that evolution is consistently challenging and exciting.”
In 1998, the firm jumped at another challenging and exciting — and largely untapped — opportunity in gaming. Thalden was given the opportunity to design a new casino for the Ho Chunk Nation in Wisconsin. He called his friend, Charles “Chief” Boyd, who is of Cherokee heritage and had his own architectural firm, The Boyd Group, in Tulsa. Thalden suggested they do the project together. Thalden’s years of creative hotel and casino design expertise and Boyd’s in-depth knowledge of the special issues working with tribal clients — such as compacts, sovereignty and tribal trust land — were a perfect match for the project.
Shortly thereafter, the two firms merged to form Thalden Boyd Architects and focus all of its efforts toward designing Indian Gaming properties. In August 2006, with the addition of Emery as partner, the firm became Thalden • Boyd • Emery Architects.
“Native American gaming looked like an undiscovered gold mine to me,” Thalden said. “It may look obvious today, as Native American gaming accounts for 45 percent of all gaming in the country, but 10 years ago it was a big risk. However, as a result of that successful gamble, Thalden • Boyd • Emery Architects has become the most well-known architecture firm in Indian Country.”
“The work in Indian Country will always be special to me,” Boyd said. “It’s more than just designing buildings. We get to play a significant role in creating the future for a whole segment of our society — one that has been overlooked and impoverished for a long time.”
Together, Thalden • Boyd • Emery provides a complete and unified design approach to the Indian Gaming industry, having worked with more than 50 tribal clients.
Bobbie McGray, special operations at Coyote Valley Shodakai Casino, is working with Thalden • Boyd • Emery Architects on a current project for the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, the Coyote Valley Casino expansion in Redwood, Calif. The band had worked with Thalden Boyd before, and the counsel decided to use them again. So far, McGray says: “[We are] very, very pleased. The project is in the first phases of design, and they are delivering ahead of schedule … the tribe is very, very pleased with the look at the feel of the new casino design. … It is always a pleasure working with professional people.”
David Stewart, CEO of Cherokee Nation Enterprises, which operates seven casinos, three hotels, two golf courses and various retail outlets in northeast Oklahoma, had this to say: “Thalden Boyd Architects is the best in the business and has been extremely valuable to Cherokee Nation Enterprises because of the firm’s innovative architectural vision and creative style. At our flagship property, Cherokee Casino Resort in Tulsa, Okla., Thalden Boyd infused the art deco style Tulsa is famous for with traditional Cherokee themes to create the casino’s own distinct look. With two casino expansion projects in the works, we are eagerly looking forward to what Thalden Boyd will present next. Cherokee Casino Resort is the market leader, and Thalden Boyd Architects has helped us achieve that goal. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Thalden Boyd for many years to come.”
While the firm enjoys designing Native American casinos and resorts, it also continues to do work in Las Vegas, on rivers and in the Gulf Coast. It also has also spread its wings internationally to Canada and new gaming frontiers in Asia. In addition to architecture, the firm provides master planning, interior design and engineering, operating from offices in Las Vegas, St. Louis, Tulsa and Phoenix. Thalden says: “While we have had a remarkable past, I still wake up in the morning knowing that every day brings a new opportunity to create something unique and spectacular.”
Thalden • Boyd • Emery Architects, established in 1971, specializes in the design of casinos, resorts and hotels. The firm has worked on more than 100 casinos and more than 400 hotel projects, with numerous Las Vegas gaming companies and more than 50 tribal clients. It is ranked as the 8th “Top Hospitality Design Firms in the U.S.” by Hotel & Motel Management Magazine.
Barry Thalden, AIA, FASLA, Partner
Thalden has more than 40 years of experience as an architect and artist, specializing in hotel and casino design. Based in Las Vegas, he works with many of the major casino and hotel owners, including Hyatt, Marriott, MGM/Mirage, Holiday Inns Worldwide, Radisson, Caesar’s, Harrah’s Players, Hilton and Trump. He has been moderator and keynote speaker at national conventions, as well as the author of articles published in the gaming/resort industry’s leading magazines. He has been listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World in recognition of his work. The firm’s credits include work on more than 100 casinos and more than 400 hotels.
Charles “Chief” Boyd, FCSI, CCS, AIA
Boyd’s extensive experience in Native American projects began in 1963 with the Cherokee Cultural Center in Tahlequah, Okla. Since then, he has worked with 51 tribes across the country and is one of the most wel- known Native American architects. He is the official architect to the Cherokee National Historical Society and has held that position since 1964. Boyd has been actively involved with his tribe for more than 45 years and is presently the Secretary of the Cherokee National Historical Society. He was honored as “Native American Professional Businessman of the Year, 2000” in Oklahoma.
Rich Emery, AIA
Emery joined Thalden • Boyd • Emery in 1982 as a summer intern; he is now the partner in charge of design and heads the St. Louis office. In the past 25 years, Emery has designed hotels and casinos in all of the gaming markets throughout the United States. He has extensive experience in fast-track and phasing, and has designed projects collectively worth billions of dollars. He earned bachelor’s degrees in environmental design and architecture from the University of Kansas.
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