The New York City-based Rockwell Group defined a new way to approach this second phase of development, which is centered around the "Casino of the Sky." Based on the Mohegan concept of a "Life Trail," the interior architecture trans-forms from land and trees to water, rock and crystal, becoming the basis for the Casino of the Sky. Wombi Rock, 60 feet in diameter and 65 feet tall, stands underneath a 150-foot planetarium "sky" with interior lighting programmed to change colors along with the planetarium show. According to the design team, the ascent of this mountain represents a spiritual voyage, and at the summit one can almost touch the Celestial Bear, hovering amongst the stars.
"Our concept was to anchor the center of the casino with a three-tier rock formation based on the crystals on site," said Ed Bakos, a Principal of the Rockwell Group. Attention to the transition of colors from the bottom of the structure to the top was the result of extensive research done on crystal structures. Stone shades were progressively lighter at the top of the structure, while the bottom featured darker shades of onyx.