The flowery architecture of the new Holland Casino

Situated just off the motorway and close to the German border, the imaginatively designed new ‘Holland Casino’ development is intended to revitalise the region around the Dutch city of Venlo. With its curved architecture, numerous floral elements and colourful facade, the new-build casino is in harmony with Holland’s floral landscape. Viewed from above, the organic shapes of the offset and superimposed storeys form the shape of a flower head. We were in charge of the timber construction and delivered the free form support structure. An additional element of our project was the rounded walls in prefabricated timber construction.

Situated in the centre of the atrium, our 3.2 m diameter free-form column in laminated timber is particularly eye-catching. The stylised stem grows upwards and branches out at the top into an artfully curved supporting structure comprising around 300 free form components. At its maximum expansion, the flower-shaped roof has an area of 55 x 45 m. The rooms in the casino, where visitors try their luck, extend over two levels around the supporting structure.

Central to the building concept is the unity of architecture and sustainability. Free form timber constructions fulfil this criterion. They enable extraordinary designs to be brought to life exactly as the architects imagined, and all using natural and renewable wooden materials.

Portrait Jephta Schaffner Project Development Engineering Free Form Timber Structures Blumer Lehmann

Jephtha Schaffner

Head of Timber Construction Planning | Free Form

+41 71 388 52 27
jephtha.schaffner@blumer-lehmann.com
The free form wooden column is the centrepiece in the atrium of the Holland Casino in Venlo

The free form column is the centrepiece of the atrium.

The flower-shaped supporting structure in timber

The flower-shaped supporting structure in timber

500m3 of spruce wood were used to build the glamorous casino.

500m3 of spruce wood were used to build the glamorous casino.

The flower-shaped supporting structure in detail.

The flower-shaped supporting structure in detail.

The flower stem – centrepiece of the atrium – extending upwards.

The flower stem – centrepiece of the atrium – extending upwards.

Construction work on the supporting structure.

Construction work on the supporting structure.

Detailed view of the roof construction during construction work

Detailed view of the roof construction during construction work

The roof construction of Holland Casino in Venlo takes shape.

The roof construction takes shape.