Casino Central
Encyclopedia
The Casino Central is located in Mar del Plata
, Argentina
, and is one of the largest such establishments in the country.
. Inspired by seafront Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz
, France
, the casino and neighboring Grand Provincial Hotel
(inaugurated in 1950) remain architectural landmarks of the city of Mar del Plata as well as of Argentina. Its decoration was planned by famed French designer Jean-Michel Frank
(who was in Argentina at work on the Llao Llao Hotel
) together with local interior design
house Casa Comte. Ground was broken on the casino's construction on July 15, 1938, by the Concordance
Governor of Buenos Aires Province, Manuel Fresco, and the Central Casino was inaugurated on December 22, 1939.
Bustillo's twin buildings were designed in an eclectic style, but with reminiscences of French Neoclassical architecture
. The buildings were clad in brick and quartzite
, and topped with a slate
mansard. Bustillo also designed the development's surrounding Bristol Esplanade, or Rambla Casino, and central square, both built from 1938 to 1941 for the casino and future hotel. Guillermo Brown Square separates the two twin buildings, and opens to the sea via wide stone steps flanked by two iconic statues of sea lion
s, carved by José Fioravanti
.
The casino was refurbished by the provincial government in December 2007, and the Grand Provincial Hotel was reopened by Madrid
-based NH Hotels in February 2009.
The grand entrance of the Central Casino, marked by a canopy, was located on Patricio Peralta Ramos
Avenue, but was moved to the seashore esplanade following its 2007 refurbishment. Gaming space includes a main room overlooking the Atlantic Ocean
, as well as rooms for high roller
s (140 tables, including blackjack
, baccarat
, craps
, and roulette
) and for slot machine
s (630). The casino welcomes around 12,000 players per evening during the summer tourist season, with as many as 18,000 daily during January weekends.
The Central Casino shares the north building with a 66-room four star hotel, the Teatro Auditorium, the Ástor Piazzolla Room, a sports arena that hosted gymnastics
tournaments and numerous other events at the 1995 Pan American Games
, and the School of Hospitality. The ground floor also houses numerous storefronts and is surrounded by a portico
along its beachfront side.
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, and is one of the largest such establishments in the country.
Overview
The Central Casino is one of a pair of twin buildings designed by architect Alejandro BustilloAlejandro Bustillo
Alejandro Bustillo was an Argentine painter and architect who left his mark in various tourist destinations in Argentina, especially in the Andean region of the Patagonia....
. Inspired by seafront Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz
Biarritz
Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the casino and neighboring Grand Provincial Hotel
NH Gran Hotel Provincial
The NH Gran Hotel Provincial is a five star establishment in Mar del Plata, Argentina.-Overview:The hotel is one of a pair of twin buildings designed by architect Alejandro Bustillo. Inspired by seafront Hotel du Palais in Biarritz, France, the hotel and neighboring Casino Central remain...
(inaugurated in 1950) remain architectural landmarks of the city of Mar del Plata as well as of Argentina. Its decoration was planned by famed French designer Jean-Michel Frank
Jean-Michel Frank
Jean-Michel Frank was a French interior designer known for minimalist interiors decorated with plain-lined but sumptuous furniture made of luxury materials, such as shagreen, mica, and intricate straw marquetry.-Life and career:...
(who was in Argentina at work on the Llao Llao Hotel
Llao Llao Hotel
The Llao Llao Hotel is located in the tourist resort of San Carlos de Bariloche within the .This famous hotel is situated in the foothills of the Andes on a hill between the Moreno Lake and Nahuel Huapi lakes....
) together with local interior design
Interior design
Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
house Casa Comte. Ground was broken on the casino's construction on July 15, 1938, by the Concordance
Concordancia (Argentina)
The Concordancia was a political alliance in Argentina. Three Presidents belonging to the Concordance were in power from 1931 to 1943, a period known in Argentina as the "Infamous Decade."...
Governor of Buenos Aires Province, Manuel Fresco, and the Central Casino was inaugurated on December 22, 1939.
Bustillo's twin buildings were designed in an eclectic style, but with reminiscences of French Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
. The buildings were clad in brick and quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
, and topped with a slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
mansard. Bustillo also designed the development's surrounding Bristol Esplanade, or Rambla Casino, and central square, both built from 1938 to 1941 for the casino and future hotel. Guillermo Brown Square separates the two twin buildings, and opens to the sea via wide stone steps flanked by two iconic statues of sea lion
Sea Lion
Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear-flaps, long fore-flippers, the ability to walk on all fours, and short thick hair. Together with the fur seal, they comprise the family Otariidae, or eared seals. There are six extant and one extinct species in five genera...
s, carved by José Fioravanti
José Fioravanti
José Fioravanti was a prolific Argentine sculptor known for the many civic monuments he created.-Life and work:...
.
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
-based NH Hotels in February 2009.
The grand entrance of the Central Casino, marked by a canopy, was located on Patricio Peralta Ramos
Patricio Peralta Ramos
Patricio Peralta Ramos was an Argentine businessman and landowner prominent in the foundation of the seaside Mar del Plata.-Life and times:...
Avenue, but was moved to the seashore esplanade following its 2007 refurbishment. Gaming space includes a main room overlooking the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, as well as rooms for high roller
High roller
A high roller, also referred to as a whale in the casino industry, is a gambler who wagers large amounts of money. High rollers often receive lavish "perks" from casinos to lure them onto the gambling floors, such as free private jet transfers, limousine use and use of the casinos' best suites...
s (140 tables, including blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
, baccarat
Baccarat
Baccarat is a card game, played at casinos and by gamblers. It is believed to have been introduced into France from Italy during the reign of King Charles VIII , and it is similar to Faro and Basset...
, craps
Craps
Craps is a dice game in which players place wagers on the outcome of the roll, or a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. Players may wager money against each other or a bank...
, and roulette
Roulette
Roulette is a casino game named after a French diminutive for little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even....
) and for slot machine
Slot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
s (630). The casino welcomes around 12,000 players per evening during the summer tourist season, with as many as 18,000 daily during January weekends.
The Central Casino shares the north building with a 66-room four star hotel, the Teatro Auditorium, the Ástor Piazzolla Room, a sports arena that hosted gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
tournaments and numerous other events at the 1995 Pan American Games
1995 Pan American Games
The 12th Pan American Games were held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, from March 12 to March 26, 1995. After 44 years, this was the Pan American Games first return to the country that hosted the first Games, in 1951.-Overview:...
, and the School of Hospitality. The ground floor also houses numerous storefronts and is surrounded by a portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
along its beachfront side.