Fabric skin completely transforms riverboat casino

Image: Structurflex/Daniel R. Berger II

Calling it “a complete overhaul” doesn’t even begin to describe the transformation of the Bally’s riverboat casino in Kansas City, Mo., done by Structurflex of Merriam, Kan., with the FlexFacades cladding system. There’s nothing “old-timey riverboat” about the current look, although there is a nod to the water with some abstract waterproof fiberglass “nautical fins” on the side of the boat that is visible to the interstate. That structural design element allows even a simple one-color lighting effect on that wall to be a showstopper.

“It was about 70,000 square feet of fabric all the way around,” engineer Paul Snustead described in an interview with Specialty Fabrics Review. “And it was a huge cost saver. It was not only lightweight but very cost-effective to skin this boat, and this is probably one of the most unique projects that we’ve ever done in this application. It doesn’t even look like a boat.”

The makeover was part of a $40 million renovation following the purchase of the Isle of Capri Casino by Bally’s Corp. in 2020. And the redo had some strict parameters. The building couldn’t be altered, for one, which is why fabric architecture came into play. After a preliminary engineering analysis, “We developed a ‘cage’ concept that encapsulated the casino,” say Snustead’s notes about the project on the company’s website.

*The casino before the renovation.* *Image: Structurflex/Bally’s Corp.*

Another strict parameter on the project that presented its own challenges was due to zoning regulations. The artificial moat had to stay. “So we developed an installation process using boom lifts on barges surrounding the property,” the notes describe. The casino sits on an artificial lake of water pumped in from the Missouri River.

The casino originally opened in 1996 as the Hilton Flamingo Casino.