The Casino at Marino
From ZuluNotes - Free Leaving Cert Notes
The 17th century in Ireland was a time of political unrest and violence. As a result, buildings were used mainly for defence purposes. Following William of Orange’s victory in the Battle of the Boyne in 1969, a new prosperous, Protestant, landed gentry emerged who wished to display their wealth in building large country houses and public buildings. These were built at first in the Palladian style, based on the writings of Andrea Palladio. Later, neo-classicism became increasingly popular as more architects travelled to Rome to study its ancient buildings.
William Chambers was a prominent London architect of the Georgian period. He was born in Gotëborg and originally worked for the Swedish East India Company. He trained as an architect in Paris and later in Italy. While in Italy he met Lord Charlemont for whom he would design the Casino at Marino and a townhouse. Back in England, he became architectural tutor to the Prince of Wales and later architect to the King. This royal patronage allowed him to experiment in small-scale architecture ornament for Kew gardens, which provided him with experience for the design of the Casino.
The Casino at Marino was built in the 18th century as a summerhouse. It has little function and serves mainly as an expensive architectural exercise. From the outside it appears like a one-storied Greek temple. However it actually contains three storeys and a basement for servants.
The building is based on a Greek cross and is inscribed in Doric colonnades. It is richly decorated with sculptural ornament and decorative carving. Urns and columns are both decorative and functional. The urns serve to hide chimney pot while the columns hide drains. The entrance facade has a door that rises almost to the height of the columns, camouflaging the second storey. The windows are made of curved glass that reflects the exterior and hide the interior walls. On the north and south facades are steps, on the east and west facades are balastrades. Lions guard each corner.
Outside on the centre floor are a reception, which faces onto the sea, a living room and a study. The top floor contains three ornate bedrooms and stairs to an attic. One of the whores can be opened and turned into a window to provide extra ventilation on warm days.
The Casino contains many parquet floors inlaid with African woods and decorated with signs from the zodiac and the solar system. The rooms are small but proportional with ceiling stuccowork by Cipriani. The stucco swags on the outside of the building were created by Simon Vierpyl.
The Casino at Marino has been hailed as the most important neo-classical building in Ireland. It is an architectural gem, which is a perfect example of Chambers’ work and of the cultural aspirations of the ruling classes in Ireland.
