Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A., of Minneapolis, Minn. has announced the opening of the Isleta Casino & Resort in Albuquerque, NM. The property was expanded to now include more than 200 hotel rooms and suites, a 24-hour café, steakhouse and Asian bistro, indoor and outdoor pool, fitness center, a full-service water-themed spa, children's activity center, and more than 30,000 sq. ft. of ballroom and meeting space.

The Cuningham Group engaged the casino owners – Pueblo of Isleta – in master planning the expansion of its existing facility through a design process that including visioning and chartering sessions.

"We interpreted the client's vision, extracted metaphors from the region and the site, and then translated those into distinctive, timeless, modern forms," says Thomas Hoskens, AIA, LEED AP, Cunningham Group vice president.

"Three essential metaphors influenced the architecture of Isleta Casino & Resort: adobe, feathers, and the beautiful pottery produced by the Pueblo. Adobe is the basic form-giver of historic Pueblo buildings. Here it is undulated and layered to bring out the shapes of the functional building forms. The feather is used as a major form-giver to the sun-screening device in the spectacular atrium while pottery pieces were abstracted, scaled, and used as major landmark elements for the entry. Pottery is also the inspiration for the dramatically oversized Spa Jar."

The spa is a private, semi-sheltered outdoor spa in the shape of native pottery where guests can enjoy refreshments and relaxation. Another striking visual is the glass atrium at the entrance, standing at 90-ft. tall and seven-stories.

"The open-air atrium celebrates the verticality of the red-rock walls, which are highly textural by design. The water feature along the walls adds a touch of elegance and appears to flow from the atrium to the exterior spa. This offers a connection to nature and a sense of mystery and exploration for guests," says Hoskens.