The small 1.7 square kilometer Italian enclave of Campione d’Italia is located entirely within Switzerland on the eastern shore of Lake Lugano at the foot of a beautiful mountain. Although located in Switzerland, Campione is part of Italy and Italian law applies. The Casino generates substantial revenue and residents enjoy some special tax concessions.
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Campione d’Italia is building a new casino, which will open in 2005 and replace the existing 1936 casino. The project will cost nearly 100 million Swiss francs and is designed by famed Swiss architect Mario Botta. The accompanying panoramas were taken from the construction site this past March, and shot by Gabriele Ruggeri, who was also the assistant photographer for the Arounder Milan shoot.
Botta sought a modern and functional extension of the profile of the Campione d’Italia hill while enhancing the view of the casino for those arriving from the lake. The external finish in gilded stone slabs arranged in alternating bush-hammered and smooth bands acts as a link between the modern 20th-century buildings of Campione d'Italia and the old town center. The complex consists of three large buildings, the main central block rising to ten storeys on the piazzale Milano side. Because of their tiered design, the two lower wings reflect the descent towards the lake of the two existing pedestrian routes, which will remain.
The new Casino has two main entrances; the central and tallest block contains the gaming rooms, a porticoed floor, restaurant and reception room. The two wings, also connected to the main block via two suspended tunnels, house the administration offices, technical rooms and stores. The layout was conceived with particular consideration for those moving around inside: a system of lifts, escalators and passageways provides direct links with the various floors, connecting the gaming rooms to the portico, restaurant and reception room.
As the new casino is a large construction site right in the middle of town, both local residents and visitors to the present casino had to put up with some inconvenience, so the building site was turned into an event and visitors were welcomed to oversee the construction process. The construction website describes the projects as a “new interpretation of the term ‘building site’, that turns a source of inconvenience, as it is normally seen by the community, into an opportunity: an opportunity for involvement and participation, for cultural growth and entertainment, due to the planning and realization of a series of communication activities which will accompany the site for the duration of the project.”
To facilitate local enthusiasm for the project, two observation windows were set up in a sheltered position where visitors can survey the work in safety. Along the site enclosure a screen was erected with eye-catching graphics of the future casino, highlighting the quantity and quality of the services that will be on offer. In addition, scenic night lighting has transformed the site into a positive feature of the Campione and lakeside.
Take a virtual tour of the old casino.
Gabriele Ruggeri
Gabriele Ruggeri was born in Chiasso, Switzerland, in 1967. He studied photography at the Istituto Europeo Design in Milan between 1983 and 1986. Further to this experience, Ruggeri spent the next few years working as an assistant for various studios in Milan such as Superstudio and Symbol Pictures. After realizing a series of publicity campaigns on behalf of some of Europe’s greatest firms such as Polaroid, Cagiva, Piaggio, Fila, Ferrari, Sun International and Contax, in 1992 Ruggeri returned to Chiasso. There, he opened his own space and dedicated himself to the processing of digital photography. Working freelance, Ruggeri gained experience in QTVR technology and in 2000 he commenced a stimulating collaboration with VRWAY Switzerland.
