Venice and Carlo Scarpa: a dialogue between ancient and modern

Together we will explore two magnificent locations redesgined by a great Venetian architect, Carlo Scarpa.

We will begin with the Olivetti showroom in St Mark’s Square, completed in 1958 on behalf of Adriano Olivetti, a truly inspired entrepeneur, and later entrusted by the Generali to the FAI who would safeguard it and open it up to the public.
We will then move on to the 60’s garden area of Palazzo Querini Stampalia, which houses the foundation of the same name; the palace’s interior is now a museum but also one of the most popular student libraries in the city.
Both projects are without doubt absolute masterpieces of 20th century Italian architecture.

Carlo Scarpa’s work is a continual research and experimentation on details and distinguishes itself for its elegance, the fundamental use of lines and the dominance of a wide variety of materials: pairing up stone and metal, smooth and rough, white and black, grey and red is clearly one of his trademark signs.
His work is where the ancient meets the modern, and while you feel the full presence of Venice’s history and traditions, there is no fear of the modern.
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This tour will uncover many unexpected corners of Venice, a city tied to the contemporary much more than is commonly perceived…
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