Little House by the Sea

Welcome to the little house by the sea (Casino Marino). It is a small summer house, located in Marino, Dublin, Ireland. It was designed by Scottish architect William Chambers for James Caulfeild, starting in the late 1750s and finishing around 1775. It is a good example of Neo-Classical architecture.

The name 'Casino' is the form of the 18th-century Italian word 'Casa' meaning 'House', thus 'Little House' and is not used in the modern sense of "gambling establishment". After his Grand Tour of Italy and Greece, Caulfield was taken with all things Italian, and decided to add a 'little house to his estate, which he had already named after the town of Marino in Lazio.

Widely regarded as an important Neo-Classical building, the Casino is quite small, measuring only fifty feet square to the outer columns. In plan, it takes the form of a Greek Cross with a pair of columns framing each projecting elevation. Seen from the outside, the building has the appearance of a single roomed structure, with a large panelled door on the north elevation and a single large window on each of the other elevations. This is all illusion, however, as it actually contains 16 rooms on three floors.

Many other tricks are used throughout the construction to preserve the apparent simplicity of the design. Four of the columns which surround the building are hollow and, with a length of chain dangling in each, allow rainwater to drain down. The Roman urns on the roof are used as chimneys. The interior, includes a basement level with a kitchen and associated rooms, a main floor with reception rooms and a top storey with servants' rooms and a State Bedroom.

The Casino is a building I have always admired and sketched. It was a long term goal to make an architectural model of the building. While making Lego Architectural sets, I realised this buildings potential in Lego. Its proportions and method of construction lends itself perfectly to Lego. The finished model is very close in design and proportion to the original building.

This Lego set is an architectural model that would look great on any desk or shelf. Any fan of Architecture and/or Lego can appreciate its beauty. It is an interesting, challenging and intricate build. The goal was to create a museum quality architectural model from Lego.

The set is made up of about 2395 pieces. The interior, includes a basement level , a main floor with reception rooms and a top storey with servants' rooms and a State Bedroom. The base is (w) 40 x (l) 40 studs. Four carved stone lions guard the four corners of the building of the building. The colour scheme for the model is restrained. White for the columns and key features to make them stand out, blueish grey for the main bulk of the structure, sand green to represent the patinated copper roof at the top of the building and green around the bottom edges to tie it into its landscape of a grass lawn. Black was used to form the base which marries well with the lawn and acts as a visual anchor for the model.

I'd really appreciate your support, so if you like Little House by the Sea, please tap the support button and share!

Many thanks!