The hotel's location, on the corner of Rapid City's Main Street and Mount Rushmore Road, made the selection of the Shrine of Democracy a natural choice for the lobby's focal point. Mount Rushmore was once again set in stone, this time as an 18'-diameter center medallion that replicates the famed presidential faces Borglum carved on the nearby mountain. After months of searching for the resources to realize his dream, Marali heard about waterjet technology and contacted Aalto at his Creative Edge Corporation based in Iowa. The two men began exploring creative possibilities to incorporate the scenic beauty of the Black Hills into the Radisson's decor. They shopped the world for the 75 different kinds of natural stones that fashion the art underfoot.
Rapid City is one of the most visited areas in the country.
More than five million people annually come to see the Black Hill, Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorial and much more. We saw this as an opportunity to capitalize on the beauty of the surrounding area. I wanted to offer exciting visuals indoors, as well. The natural Black Hills theme carries through in landscaping leading to the hotel entrance. A micro-scape representative of the geology of the area utilizes native trees and shrubs surrounded by 90 tons of large granite rock blasted from Crazy Horse Memorial.