The Casino at Marino, Dublin

The Casino at Marino, Dublin
1775
Architect: William Chambers
 
One of my first architectural loves from my early teens when I first saw it in Banister Fletcher’s History of Architecture… It is exquisitely beautiful and so cleverly designed. The amount of decorative detail was a challenge but definitely needed to be shown. I have never drawn smaller egg and darts! But a pleasure to draw and of all the drawings I have done so far it is my favourite.
 
The Neo-Classical Casino (Little House) is all that remains of the 1st Earl of Charlemont’s “terrestial paradise”.
Deceiving by appearance, Chambers’ ingenious design contains 16 rooms over three floors. 
Numerous tricks were used to create the illusion of a small, single room building — the panes of glass in the windows are curved to hide the room divisions, the urns are chimneys, four of the columns are hollow to serve as rainwater pipes.
 
Watercolour, ink and pencil on Moulin du Roy Watercolour Paper 100% Cotton, 300gsm
67cm × 86cm (26” x 34”) “Antiquarian” sheet