Oscar Niemeyer's Casino Park Hotel

Our hotel in Funchal has its own history and pedigree right back to its creation in the 1960s. Its flowing and graceful design came from the pen of the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, who's been responsible for many striking buildings around the world over many years. Niemeyer's modernist style makes use of curves rather than straight lines and emphasises open spaces, and the Casino Park hotel and casino are great examples of his work.

There was a book inside the hotel room explaining the story of the hotel and casino, and it contained lots of fantastic black and white photographs picking out the architecture and geometry of these unique buildings. The book inspired me to try some similar shots, and whilst they don't have quite the same impact as those in the book, they do highlight the beauty of the two connected structures and the talent of Niemeyer.


The casino is a hyperboloid structure, similar in design to Niemeyer's cathedral in Brasilia. The casino and hotel are connected by a walkway, which again is shaped in a graceful curve, meaning presumably that guests can slip into the casino with an element of discretion.