Casinos Glamour Architecture, Gaming Resorts Design, Gambling Experience

Casinos combining Glamour with Architecture guide

27 Jan 2020

Glamourous Casino Architecture

Casinos – Combining Glamour With Architecture

Glamour, excitement and wonder are just a few words to describe the design and architecture of the many famous casinos that we know today. Perhaps the best examples of these casinos are located in major gambling locations in the world in cities such as Las Vegas and Macau. While there are many great examples of casino architecture in the world, some examples stand out over the rest leading their architects to become well known all over the world.

The city of Macau is home to about 40 casinos and among all of them, the Grand Lisboa is one that would stand out above the rest. The Lotus-shaped structure has become an important landmark of Macau and can be seen from all parts of the city. When designing the structure, the two men had a very good idea of what they wanted the structure to be. They wanted a daring and fluid design and wanted it to be entirely different from the rest of the surrounding buildings.

Combining East and Western Styles

For over 400 years, Macau was seen as an important gateway between the east and western civilizations. Therefore, the Grand Lisboa was conceptualized with the idea of merging design elements and motifs from these 2 civilizations. The design of the building has been heavily inspired by famous European landmarks such as the Louvre, Château de Versailles and of course, the Monte Carlo Casino and combining them with Chinoiserie elements. Chinoiserie was used in western art as a decorative style that is characterized by the use of Chinese motifs, a reinterpretation of Chinese decorative art in European fashion. The style was introduced in Europe during the 17th century and was popularized in the 18th century.

The Grand Lisboa features many important design elements of Chinese traditional culture such as the dragon, the phoenix, the lotus flower and such. These symbols are applied to bas-relief panels through the building, identifying different parts of the resort and all of them can be found in pairs. For example, at the southwest entrance is the Dragon and Chrysanthemum, representing Palazzo Versace Macau. Another noticeable use of Chinese design is the logo of the Lisboa itself which resembles the Chinese character “鼎”, an ancient symbol of power.

Combining the Present and the Past

Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas was created with the idea of bringing back ancient Greco-Roman architecture and incorporating that style into modern architecture. The casino was opened in 1966 and was the first casino to experiment with this style of building. Its founder Jay Sarno mentioned that the idea came from him wanting to design a casino with many columns, statues, water fountains and tons of marble. At the entrance of the casino, the guests are welcomed by a large statue of Julius Caesar himself.

The interior itself is as glamorous as the exterior. It is also designed by using ancient themed elements intricately detailed ornamentation, Roman, Corinthian as well as Tuscan columns, beautifully crafted domes and Roman styled sculptures. Realizing such a project is not simple and requires professional execution, the right materials and above all good design. Having many elements mashed together is not enough and people can do a poor job of combining them. A designer can create his image of what the building is meant to look like, however, the contractor and fabricator is the one that has to ensure that all of the details work well together with the concept.

Bigger Is Not Always Better

Probably one of the most beautiful casinos from an architectural standpoint is the Monte Carlo Casino. Beaux-Arts is an architectural style that was taught in Paris from the 1830s to the end of the 19th century. The style is very distinct and borrows elements from the Gothic and Renaissance styles and modern materials are used in construction, such as iron and glass. This style is what makes the Monte Carlo Casino stand apart from the rest. People have always associated the casino with James Bond and it is said the Beaux Style that the building uses has inspired Ian Flamming’s casino in his Bond novel, Casino Royale.

Casinos combining Glamour with Architecture – Monaco

Alongside Las Vegas and Macau, the main location that comes to mind for many people is Monaco and this is due to the popularity of the Monte Carlo Casino. Compared to the other ones, the Monte Carlo is not as grandiose and presents a more intimate ambience.

The ornate architecture with statues as a bas-relief of the building has a lasting impression on anybody visiting the casino. Nowadays, the gaming aspect of a casino can be experienced on the internet via online platforms such as Admiral Casino that allows people to experience the games comfortably. Alternatively, a land-based casino such as the Monte Carlo offers a gambling experience in the most elegant manner possible.

When it was originally founded back in the 19th century, there was very poor accessibility to the establishment due to the lack of roads connecting Monaco to the rest of Europe. Its first attempt of garnering attention from surrounding areas failed and the project was then resurrected and taken over by businessman François Blanc. After that, the building became what we know today as the Monte Carlo Casino. After the business was put back on track, the building went through many renovations over the next century. A single hall of the original structure remains and is being used to this day.

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