Award of Merit - Hospitality

The Lodge at Turning Stone

An architectural blending of old and new caught the judges' attention when they considered the Lodge at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, N.Y. "It's a mix of modern and rustic designs that complement each other very well," said one judge.

The lodge, a new 98-room luxury suite hotel, is part of a $308 million project aimed at transforming the casino from a local attraction to a full-service destination. The lodge's primary function is to cater to the resort's golfing guests.

The lodge is set apart from other attractions at the resort, owned and operated by the Oneida Nation. A private drive leads to the glass, steel, and wood porte-cochere that serves as a gateway into the lodge's exclusive grounds. Elsewhere on the property, Turning Stone already has a 285-key hotel, a 22,000-sq.-ft. convention center, an 800-seat showroom, and an RV park. It also has two golf courses, a clubhouse, and 11 restaurants.

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The lodge's architectural design blends modern lines with references to the region's traditional Adirondack style. As visitors approach the lodge's entry pavilion, they cross over a glass-covered wooden bridge above a brook. The design pays careful attention to imbue the four-story hotel with a human scale that relates to the nearby golf courses.

"It's a spectacular building," said one judge.

From its pitched metal roof, the hotel façade steps back, sporting wooden balconies with glass balustrades. Glass walls form shear corners for the building and lend a modern and expansive feel to the design.

The project team used stone and glass to echo the texture, color, and transparency of the lodge's façade within the hotel. Clean, modern lines complement soft and rich textures, furnishings, and fabrics, all combining to create the sensation of visiting a grand private home.

The architectural design also sets the tone for the lodge's interiors. The plan creates a flow of spaces distinct from many other hotel projects, diminishing a sense of hierarchy and promoting a feeling of community. The goal was to intentionally enhance communication between public and private spaces.

The lodge follows a subtle "M" shape with two guestroom "wings" that embrace a great lawn terracing down to a lake and golf course. The building's mass and shape aim to enhance guests' interaction with the landscape by framing views from both public and private spaces. Furthermore, the gentle angling of the wings provides 20 different guestroom configurations, each with its own view of the landscape. In addition, the plan breaks down long hotel corridors and establishes a residential feeling and scale.