The imaginary world of the casino: the relationship between architecture and the casino building type

Abstract

The objective of this research report is to explore and learn from the world wide casino building type. The intention is to provide the 'essence' of casino design as a basis to encourage innovative, fresh interpretations for new casino designs. That is, can casino architecture, regardless of American or European stereotyping, be traced back to single unifying themes or 'laws' which can be constructed into useful design tools for architects? The scope of the report are those casinos of both versions, European and American, from the nineteenth century to today, which are outstandingly successful in terms of profit and in their ability to attract the tourist/visitor (ie. patrons that are not professional gamblers). I conclude that by investigating the very different world of the casino some important fundamental 'laws' of casino design were identified. These have been formulated into a series of guidelines which can now be interpreted and reinforced by architects aiming to design a successful casino.