The Bellagio: Commercial Design from Greco-Roman Times

To an alien, Las Vegas must seem like one of the strangest places on Earth, a microcosm of the tourist industry with world-famous landmarks recreated in miniature—the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, and Ancient Egypt (and a host of glowing cowboys). Find out more in The Bellagio: Commercial Design from Greco-Roman Times

The Bellagio and its famous Fountains are another of these borrowed locations, inspired by the Italian town of the same name, and not always from this millennium. 

Careful Planning

The Bellagio’s inspiration is specific. The designer, Connecticut real estate developer Steve Wynn, wanted to invoke Lake Como in Lombardy, Northern Italy. To that end, he made it an example of classical design, which most people recognise as Greco-Roman in origin. 

It has a dual identity. The Chapter website describes it as a prototype of “commercially-oriented architecture”, a product of careful planning and design. Even the lake is man-made.

The Bellagio is world-renowned today thanks to its inclusion in media like Ocean’s Eleven (2001), Ocean’s Thirteen (2007), and Jason Bourne (2016).

The site’s 10,800m² casino floor is the setting for a game on the Hippodrome Casino website – Bellagio Roulette, too. This experience forms part of a ‘tour’ of famous locations from the live casino UK operator, alongside Live MGM Grand American Roulette and Live Hippodrome Roulette. In the latter case, the lobby provides access to the real-life tables in London. 

Water Show

As mentioned, the Bellagio’s Fountains grant the building much of its fame. The website describes the Water Show, which runs every 30 minutes during the day and every 15 minutes at night, as “Our Calling Card, launching water up to 460ft into the air. 

Considering Las Vegas was one of the driest places in the United States when The Strip opened in 1941, such a vast amount of water seems more opulent than anything else the Bellagio can throw together. Of course, there’s more to see than just the outside. 

The classical themes continue inside the Bellagio. The Conservatory is an interior garden with more fountains and themes that change year-round. It’s walled by arcades reminiscent of ancient aqueducts and arenas – and, indeed, any urban area founded by the Romans.

In another example of classical inspiration, the bathrooms at the Bellagio are furnished in marble, while the gardens host the occasional green statue.

Ancient Ideas

Visitors who dislike the toga can step away from this Greco-Roman time capsule. The Bellagio’s Club Prive skirts the line between classy and kitsch with art deco-inspired details. Think purple and teal, combined with gigantic flowers and golden ornaments. It’s not an easy thing to imagine.

The nearly 4,000 rooms of the hotel offer a much more muted palette, favouring marble panelling and white walls. It’s much closer to the ‘classic’ appearance of opus caementicium – or Roman concrete. The ever-present views of the Strip strike an odd balance between an electrified modern world and ancient ideas.

While going to casinos off The Strip is a popular choice for travellers (it’s less crowded), the spectacle of casinos like the Bellagio is one of Las Vegas’ biggest draws.

.Cent Magazine London. Be Inspired; Get Involved