The Casino at Marino

The Casino at Marino, located in Dublin, Ireland was designed by Sir William Chambers for James Caulfeild, the 1st Earl of Charlemont, starting in the late 1750s and finishing around 1775. It is a small and perfect example of Neo-Classical architecture, intended as a garden pavillion situated in the gardens of Marino House. Although proud of the design, it is notable that due to his constant employment in England, Chambers was never able to visit the completed building. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 105 KB)Photograph of the Casino at Marino taken by me in October of 2002 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 105 KB)Photograph of the Casino at Marino taken by me in October of 2002 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... This article is about the city in Ireland. ... Sir William Chambers (1723-1796) was a Scottish architect, (though born in Stockholm where his father was a merchant). ... James Caulfeild, 1st Earl of Charlemont (August 18, 1728 - August 4, 1799), was an Irish statesman. ... Neoclassicism (sometimes rendered as Neo-Classicism or Neo-classicism) is the name given to quite distinct movements in the visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture. ...

The name 'Casino Marino' is derived from Italian which literally translates to 'The small house by the small sea'. Widely regarded as the most important Neo-Classical building in Ireland, the Casino is actually quite small, measuring only fifty feet square to the outer columns. In plan, it takes the form of a Greek Cross with a pair of columns framing each projecting elevation. Seen from the outside, the building has the appearance of a single roomed structure, with a large panelled door on the north elevation and a single large window on each of the other elevations. This is all illusion, however, as it actually contains 16 rooms on three floors. Only two of the panels in the door open to allow entrance, and the panes of glass in the windows are subtly curved, disguising the partitioning which allows what looks like a single window to serve several separate rooms. This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Many other tricks are used throughout the construction in order to preserve the apparent simplicity of the design. Four of the columns which surround the building are hollow and used to drain rainwater from the roof, and Roman Funerary urns on the roof are used as chimneys.

The interior includes a basement level with a kitchen and associated rooms, a main floor with reception rooms and a top storey with servants rooms and a State Bedroom. It contains some very fine plasterwork ceilings and some elaborate hardwood parquet floors.

Originally the Casino was linked to Marino House by a tunnel, although this has more recently been blocked off due to building works in the area.

External Links

• Casino, Marino on the Heritage Ireland website
• Casino, Marino on Irish-architecture.com