Famous Casino Architecture and Design
If you’re in the casino business, you understand the significance of creating an eye-catching architectural design. It can be a challenge to stand out from competitors while also appealing to all types of players and potential new customers.
Thankfully, some of the world’s most luxurious resorts have taken it upon themselves to go all out with their architectural designs. From bold pyramids to futuristic skyscrapers, there are plenty of stunning examples for everyone to admire!
Jay Sarno
Jay Sarno is a renowned casino architect who created two of Las Vegas’ first themed mega resort casinos: Caesars Palace and Circus Circus. With these creations, Sarno created an escapist haven that would forever remain iconic to this vibrant city.
He was an American developer and businessman who owned numerous motels across the U.S., but his most renowned project was Caesars Palace – a luxury hotel-casino in Las Vegas that became one of the world’s most successful casinos during the 1960s.
When designing Caesars Palace, he took inspiration from St. Peter’s Square in Rome, which he had visited. He included Roman statues, car lanes and fountains into his design.
Sarno and his partner Stanley Mallin are credited as the creators of Las Vegas Strip’s iconic theme park aesthetic. Although Sarno never directly connected to organized crime, he did borrow funds from Teamsters Pension Fund through Jimmy Hoffa.
Veldon Simpson
The Luxor Hotel and Casino is the crown jewel of Las Vegas, designed by Veldon Simpson – a renowned architect in his own right. While Simpson has many notable projects to his name, Luxor stands as his most impressive creation to date.
Veldon Simpson’s company is situated in downtown Vegas, not too far from the Strip and McCarran International Airport. Their offices are a small but impressive collection of high-tech wizards – their office space boasting an LED lit Luxor sign which can be seen from afar. A closer look reveals an even more stunning set of glass towers housing different technologies in each lobby area. Surprisingly, some smaller towers can be found closer to ground level as well.
Paul Steelman
Casino architects create and plan structures to deliver a comprehensive entertainment and gaming experience, such as gaming rooms, table games, slot machines and stages for shows.
Paul Steelman is a renowned casino architect and the designer of many successful casinos around the world. Additionally, he serves as CEO for Steelman Partners, an international architectural firm headquartered in Las Vegas.
He has made a lasting impact on the skylines of Las Vegas, Macau and Atlantic City by creating iconic skylines. In recognition of his work he has received numerous awards such as the HOSPY Lifetime Achievement Award and SARNO Lifetime Achievement Award.
He is responsible for the design of Resorts World and Circa in Downtown Las Vegas, two landmark projects that will signal a revitalization of this vibrant neighborhood. Furthermore, he recently started an entrepreneurial venture into skill-based game design.
Jean Louis Charles Garnier
Jean Louis Charles Garnier is renowned for his designs of both the Paris Opera and Casino de Monte-Carlo. These structures were created using a Neo-Baroque aesthetic inspired by Italian Renaissance artisans.
Garnier spent five years living in Rome and also traveled to Greece and Turkey. These experiences gave him an appreciation for Neo-Baroque architecture, leading him to become one of France’s top architects during this era.
In 1860, Paris held a design competition to select an architect for their new Opera house. Following an exhaustive selection process, Gabriel Garnier was selected to construct the structure.
He revolutionized theater design by building it over a fireproof iron skeleton – an unprecedented use of metal in architecture at that time.
Garnier sought out artists and sculptors who had become his close friends while in Rome to decorate his Opera. Their training, ideals, and skill were in sync with his own, enabling them to enthusiastically integrate their work into an exquisite whole.
