Calder Casino

NO TIME TO SPARE 

Calder Race Course was well known to horse racing enthusiasts, and had a long history of showcasing some of the finest race horses in the country. When owners Churchill Downs added a new casino to the property, they asked us to design a new wayfinding program for the new casino and existing racetrack. The new wayfinding needed to unify the large property and multiple venues, and integrate consistent graphics and branding throughout the new casino and existing race track. Raising the stakes, the owners needed the new system to be designed, fabricated and installed in less than one month’s time in advance of Super Bowl XLIV which was to be played next door at Hard Rock Stadium.

OUT OF THE GATES 

Executing the task in such a short time frame required close coordination with ownership and the general contractor, and a quick design turnaround on our end. We reached out to several local sign fabricators to alert them of the imminent work and time frames, and to check on their schedules and availability for the quick execution and installation of the new signage. Despite the short turnaround time, it was important to both the owners and ourselves that the quality of the end product was not compromised. During our conceptual design development we paid extra attention to details that might expedite the fabrication process including easily sourced materials and timely construction methods. We rapidly developed a wayfinding strategy, location plans, and conceptual designs, and within a week had approvals to move forward.

DOWN THE STRETCH 

With designs approved, an even bigger challenge remained ahead—we had just three weeks to get the new signs fabricated and in the ground. We called upon our long-standing relationships with local sign fabricators, and secured a qualified shop that committed to building and installing the new program both on budget and in record time. Working at an accelerated pace we reviewed shop drawings, layouts, colors and material samples, and performed some value engineering to expedite the process without compromising the designs. We met on-site with the fabricator’s advance team and staked out or located every sign to avoid complications that might delay installation. The combination of tight management and good teamwork produced exceptional results, and the majority of the program was successfully installed just days before the Superbowl. In the months that followed we worked closely with the owner to expand the program, and designed additional directional and identity signage for the paddock, grandstand, and casino.