Back in September, the Transition Year students went on a guided tour to the Casino at Marino as part of their Urban Studies course.
The students learned that the Casino was designed by Sir William Chambers as a pleasure house for James Caulfeild, 1st Earl of Charlemont. It is one of the finest 18th century neo-classical buildings in Europe The Casino, meaning “small house”, surprisingly contains 16 finely decorated rooms, endlessly rich in subtlety and design. The students thought the building was remarkable – both in terms of structure and history.
The Casino is located at Marino, just off the Malahide Road and only three miles north of the centre of Dublin.
The trip to the Casino inspired the students to design and create a series of ceramic tiles. The students looked at some of the architectural designs and features of this neo-classical building such as the geometric pattern on the floors, the plaster work and the urns and statues around the building. The students then translated their designs into ceramic tile using the method of etching. The students then painted and glossed this tiles. Here is a small sample of the project carried out.
