Project: Concept and Preliminary Design
Client: Nathaniel Group, Peoria, IL

Project Background:
The client approached It's Alive Co. to design a "Gameworks" style entertainment center along with an associated sports museum, broadcasting studio, formal restaurant, and sports bar complex. Since the city is home to sporting events and conventions on virtually every weekend, the location within an existing 1915 multi-story building in a downtown riverfront redevelopment district was right to create a destination for tourists, visitors and locals.

Challenge:
Taking into consideration the age and style of the building, the visitors demographics, and the goals of the client, it would be necessary to develop a plan and design which showcased the best of the facility. All of this while creating a new community locale which felt comfortable to the guests, prompted repeat visitation, and gave a common look and feel to the individual elements as well as the complex as a whole.

Solution:
It's Alive Co. proceeded with a concept design phase, brainstorming on what would make the location special – what would make the guests want to come, stay, play, and tell their friends. Initial design work concentrated on incorporating changeable giant super-graphic panels on the building exterior while still preserving as much of the old look as possible; the creation of a centralized grand lobby - a hub from which guests could choose which area they want to visit; and the entertainment center and adjacent sports bar. Since branding the center as a community gathering place was a key factor, IAC created marketing opportunities by including integrated video/audio/broadcasting hubs to facilitate local broadcasts of big games and after parties. In addition, the community was incorporated into the design with the creation of local high school team booster club graphics on each building column in the entertainment center – in which the booster club members would be encouraged to ceremonially repaint their team logos each year. The complete creative and technical design documents were completed on time for use by the client to perform fund raising and community outreach.