This 47,000 sq. ft. destination casino, formerly known as Point Edward Charity Casino, was operated by Ontario’s Provincial Government for 16 years. In 2017, Canada’s largest and most diversified gaming company, Gateway Casino & Entertainment was selected by Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corp. to take over operations and extensively renovate/rebrand the property.
This complex renovation project would mark mackaywong’s third engagement with Gateway Casino & Entertainment after successfully designing and delivering new build casino projects in Kamloops and Penticton, British Columbia.
The casino is located in the small town of Point Edward, Ontario, but is nestled on the shoreline of the mighty St. Clair River, which features expansive views of Port Huron, Michigan to the north and great history. In 1859, this property was the site to Canada’s first crossing point in the United States for the storied Grand Trunk Railroad. 10 years later steamship service was inaugurated here to transport immigrants and supplies to western Canada. The St. Clair River has given physical and economic shape to the town and provided a foundation for Point Edwards sense of identity.
The rivers rich history and unique relationship with the property, ultimately inspired the design team to create an interior which took every opportunity to visually bond and subtly celebrate the beauty of the waterfront. This strategy ultimately afforded a once dark gaming interior, a renewed sense of life and energy through the release of views from the lobby, restaurants and gaming floor to the river.
Landscape inspired themes provided the creative team with rich material and narrative structures to draw inspiration from. The iridescent, rippling and reflected light of the river is cleverly expressed throughout the interior in the shape of faceted mirror columns, fractal shaped walls and dappled lighting features. Here at Starlight Casino Point Edward, nature is offered up in bold, resplendent and vivid ways that ultimately creates an energetic and charismatic gaming hospitality interior. mackaywong has again succeeded in composing a rich and thoughtful expression of “place”.
