There’s always a certain magic to a night at the casino. It could be the flashing lights, the excitement of the games, or that feeling of having absolutely nowhere else to be. Maybe James Bond has something to be thanked for; after all, there’s little more glamorous than a martini and a spin of the roulette wheel. Whatever it is, that feeling is only amplified in a beautifully designed casino. Incredible architecture has the ability to turn a great night at the casino into one that you’ll remember forever. These casinos are some of the most spectacular in the world.
Casino de Monte Carlo, Monaco
There’s something incredibly romantic about baroque architecture
Whilst online casino games offer good entertainment and can be played from the comfort of your own home, there’s a certain charm in visiting the actual casino. Those who are fans of playing slots online will be delighted at the variety on offer in the Casino de Monte Carlo. There are no less than 1000 different slot machines, each with differing price levels, so there’s one to suit all budgets. Better still though, is the table games room. This room is heavily decorated with golden chandeliers, red velvet drapes and dark wood paneling. It feels like the most sophisticated club room you could imagine.
This combined with classical portraits adorning every inch of free wall space makes the building feel almost gallery-like. Views across the Riviera complete the feeling of opulence. Stepping outside you’ll immediately notice the ornate baroque facades. Whilst minimalism has been the prevailing trend for some time now, when maximalism looks as good as the Casino de Monte Carlo, you wonder how it ever went out of fashion.
The Venetian, Las Vegas
Anything that’s inspired by a visit to Venice is likely to feature some stunning architecture, and the Venetian in Las Vegas is certainly no exception. It recently celebrated 20 years of roaring success, in no small part down to the relatively tasteful design of the building. Whilst many of Vegas’ casinos are, to put it nicely, rather tacky, the Venetian has a genuinely classy atmosphere, both inside and out.
Perhaps the largest stroke of genius in the casino design is the canal that encompasses the entire building. This means that guests each receive a valet gondola service, from car door to casino door. This kind of detail is exactly the sort of thing that creates the right mood at the beginning of the evening – and also encourages guests to stay and play a little longer. Of course, being in Vegas, the Venetian is no small operation. At 36 stories high and 120,000 square feet, it more than holds its own against the big boys.
Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore
Up until fairly recently, the largest casinos were almost exclusively found in Las Vegas. However, over the last decade, Asia has increasingly found itself at the center of mega-casino building. Sentosa, a small island off Singapore, opened Resorts World Sentosa back in 2010, at an eye-watering cost of nearly $5 billion. Although nowhere near as enormous as the Venetian, the casino still boasts an enormous 16,000 square feet of playing space.
Not only this but the resort also includes a huge aquarium, a Universal Studios park, and plenty of restaurants. Whilst some resorts can feel a little disjointed, this one was designed entirely by Michael Graves. This single architect-approach creates a sleek, futuristic feel throughout. There are no jarring design differences, just clean lines, smooth flowing shapes, and an overall feeling of being somewhere really rather special.
There are certainly plenty of very special casinos in the world. One thing that seems to unite all of these ones, though, is a single visionary approach. Allowing one person to create their dream casino does seem to reliably yield beautiful results. Whether it’s the dream of a time gone by, the memories of a special vacation, or a trip into the future, each of these casinos shows what a strong individual vision can bring to building design.
