On the first of October, our Art class went to the Casino at Marino, located opposite Mount Temple School in Marino Park, Dublin. Constructed during the 1760s the Casino is a perfect example of Palladian Architecture in Ireland. While in the Casino, we were taken on a tour and we visited each level of the Casino and learned a bit of history too. It was designed by Sir William Chambers, a British man who was employed by James Caulfield. Caulfield was a wealthy Irishman who went on the Grand Tour around Europe for a couple of years. While in Italy, he became influenced by Greek and Roman architecture and he yearned to bring his influences back to Ireland. He did just that with the Casino at Marino.
The Casino was built for three reasons: entertainment, pleasure and impressing friends. No one really lived there, and only the rich and privileged got to step inside. Outside, the building is in the shape of a Greek cross surrounded by Doric columns. The glass in the windows is curved so that you can’t see inside, allowing for some privacy, and four lion statues sit at each corner of the building. Inside, the walls and ceilings are beautifully decorated with stucco plastering and ebony wooden floors are present in almost in every room. The ceiling in the library is covered with Zodiac signs and another room has the head of Apollo and a glowing sun behind it. There are examples of floral wallpaper influenced by Chinese and Asian designs and flamboyant rooms coloured in purples, greens and golds. The rooms in the Casino are really magnificent to see and the outside of the building really sets the tone for the tour. It was quite a privilege to go and see it first hand, but there’s no doubt in my mind that it did the three jobs it was built for: entertainment, pleasure and impressing friends.
