Award-winning metal experts, Móz Designs, are excited to share their latest project at the Choctaw Casino in Durant, OK. Designed by Tulsa-based JCJ Architecture, the resort’s expansion elevates the existing property into a sleek, contemporary destination for entertainment. Setting the tone and bringing meaningful details to the space, Móz designed ten statement columns throughout the lobby as a nod to the Choctaw Nation’s underlying culture and heritage, while complementing wood tones and details within the new space. Optimizing movement through organic textures and gradient patterns, the columns dually serve as a point of connection, creating a rhythm throughout the lobby that guides towards other experiences and features within the resort.
Garrett Rowland Photography
Móz designed two different columns for the Choctaw expansion— six custom, oblong-shaped columns wrapped in Móz’s Skinz Wenge, a finish that captures the depth and feel of authentic wood, and four square columns finished in Móz’s Gradient Moonlight, bringing a modern and elevated feel to the casino. Elevator tower cladding in a complementary custom blue Powder Coat ties the architectural features together. The combination of intentional details and upscale elements was brought to fruition by the expert detailing at Móz, bringing grounded, sophisticated finishes into the shared space while supplying high quality, durable decorative metal designs that last in high-traffic public areas.
The project team was on a fast-track schedule for the casino’s expansion, allowing for only a thirty-month design and construction timeline. Móz rose to the occasion, adapting to the ever-changing pace with updated revisions during the shop drawing process and value engineering to reduce the labor and complexity of the installations. The collaboration process resulted in visually stunning project features, expressing movement and depth that spans the entirety of the columns as focal points throughout the lobby.
Material Used: Móz Designs’ oblong custom-shaped column covers are roughly 4'-11" x 3'-10" in varying heights up to 23'-0" tall. The columns are made from 3/16" aluminum, finished in Skinz’ Wenge Wood with engraved reveals. The square metal columns are 4'-6" by 3'-2" with engraved horizontal reveals, made from .090” aluminum finished in Móz’s Gradient Moonlight Coarse Durafilm. The elevator tower cladding is comprised of 1,824 square feet of .090” aluminum in a custom blue Powder Coat. The brackets and trim are 1/4” aluminum in a clear finish at the reveals.
ALPOLIC Bronze, Mica Anodic and Teak MCM clad the expansion of Choctaw Durant Casino in Oklahoma. These multiple finishes work together to achieve a beautiful design cohesive with its surroundings, and to complement the casino's contemporary interior.
In an accelerated 30-month timeline, a two million-square-foot expansion was completed in 2021 for the Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Oklahoma. The expanded property centers around the 21-story, luxury Sky Hotel Tower that ascends from an expansive three-acre resort pool and offers increased gaming and entertainment opportunities, amenities, restaurants, and a world-class, curated collection of Choctaw art. One of the largest federally recognized tribes, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is a tribe of artists, professionals, musicians, storytellers, innovators, leaders, athletes, warriors, and caregivers. Drawing upon a decade-long collaborative relationship, the design team consulted closely with members of the Choctaw Nation to realize the tribe’s mission and contribute to the community’s economic resilience beyond the casino campus. As casino resorts nationwide strive to meet and exceed increasingly sophisticated market expectations, the design team developed an expansion that elevates the guest experience and sets the tone for future growth of the property, all while harmonizing with the existing site and integrating an authentic representation of Choctaw history and culture.
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Visible on the horizon from miles away, the soaring 21-story, 1,000-room hotel tower serves as a gateway for the expansive visitor base arriving from Dallas to the south and bookends the existing casino to the north, containing the experiential energy onsite. The new structure references the curved articulation of the existing Grand Tower, ensuring that both developments connect to tell one comprehensive story. Converging at the edge of US-75, the curved towers physically embrace the property with the Sky Tower’s sophisticated, sweeping contour creating an iconic statement as it captures the dynamic beauty of the Oklahoma skies throughout the day. The design delicately balances a skyline-scaled expression with a pedestrian-scaled experience. When viewed from within the property, the gentle curve gracefully expands into the horizon. In this way, the gesture is both an impactful architectural statement and a humble, natural extension of the property. Detailed articulation on the tower reads as a pattern or expression of a textile from a close distance, bringing down the perceived scale of the tower for the guest. Shadows dance across the façade as the sun moves across the sky, creating a shifting visual spectacle.
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The property provides a unique blend of comfortable and luxurious escapism for guests. By offering a top-tier experience, the expanded resort solidifies Choctaw’s continued dominance in the gaming and hospitality market, broadening its appeal to new demographics from the local region into north Texas and beyond without compromising its existing customer base. The forward-looking design also easily allows for future growth of the property. The overall experience and attention to detail throughout the southeastern Oklahoma resort rival what guests would find in Las Vegas, while carefully integrating and celebrating the rich culture and history of the Choctaw Nation. Abundant gaming and dining amenities dovetail with enhanced family-friendly options such as a bowling alley, arcade, two movie theaters, and a new retail space to send a clear message: there is something for everyone at the Choctaw Casino & Resort.
