caprini & pellerin's cannes casino embraces mediterranean art deco

casino royal palm reopens along cannes coastline

Within the newly completed Palm Beach complex along the coastline of Cannes, France, the Casino Royal Palm has reopened its doors, reimagined by Caprini & Pellerin. Once a glamorous landmark of Riviera nightlife, the nearly century-old venue has been reworked into a vivid homage to the golden age of gaming and cinema. Now, with theatrical and geometric expressions, the project is the result of a fluid blend of Art Deco references with Mediterranean influences and contemporary craft. Meanwhile, embracing a dramatic scenography that creates an immersive experience, a play of textures, materials, and moods that nod to the building’s heritage winds through and lend the space a renewed vitality.

all images © Alexis Armanet unless stated otherwise

Caprini & Pellerin blends art deco and surreal influences

Originally inaugurated in 1928, the Palm Beach complex has long been an integral facet of the cultural mythology of the Côte d’Azur. Through this recent collaboration between Partouche Casino and the Palm Beach Group, the venue’s casino is brought back into the spotlight by Cannes-based architecture studio Caprini & Pellerin. Stepping inside the space unfolds across a central gaming hall, two intimate side rooms, and a flexible entertainment zone complete with a bar and stage. The layouts are fluid and adaptable, accommodating everything from blackjack tables to live music enlivened by a palette of peach, pastels, and warm neutrals drawn from the building’s historical archives. These hues connect the interiors to its coastal context, while textile patterns inspired by fashion and cinema layer the space with a sense of visual choreography.

With intention, Caprini & Pellerin reinterprets Art Deco through a Mediterranean lens, intertwined with Jean-Michel Frank’s minimalism, the monumentality of American Bauhaus, and the irreverent spirit of Dadaism and Surrealism. ‘The ambition was to create a space where timelessness and experimentation could co-exist,’ the duo notes. Elements such as inverted tin-cone stage curtains, parchment-patina bar finishes, and a custom Botticino marble countertop are balanced against vintage furnishings and Guy Bareff’s sculptural wall lights, celebrating the contrasts between matte and gloss, and softness and geometry.

Casino Royal Palm reopens its doors | image © Jade Quéré

Two distinct entrances set the tone, each leading into a curated world. Reception desks curve like sculpture; draped elements and pastel walls evoke the cinematic worlds of Wes Anderson without resorting to parody. The design throughout is deliberate, playful, and immersive. Tulip lamps, curved sofas, and floral benches soften the geometries of the space, while a monumental curtain in pleated hessian and Brescia Fantastica marble discreetly zones the room, separating slot machines from table games.

Throughout Casino Royal Palm, materials engage the senses, from textured plasterwork and waxed concrete to bronze detailing, with each surface tuned for both acoustics and atmosphere. A large fresco, dedicated to the artist Israel Rubinstein, spans the gaming hall, reinforcing the dialogue between place and artistic legacy. All gaming furniture, including the oak tables and the upholstered seating, has also been custom-designed by Caprini & Pellerin.

set within the recently completed Palm Beach complex along the coastline of Cannes