About Buildings + Cities 88 — Carlo Scarpa — 2/4 — Querini Stampalia, Venetian Sci-Fi
Oct 14, 2021
Explore Carlo Scarpa's transformative work at the Querini Stampalia foundation in Venice. Discover how he merges history with whimsy, blurring lines between restoration and fantasy. Scarpa's innovative approach addresses rising waters while allowing the canal's tide to shape the interior spaces. Marvel at his meticulous stonework and the design of a new entrance bridge. The conversation also connects his craftsmanship to a groovy 1960s aesthetic, evoking visions of sci-fi sets. Dive into Scarpa's iterative drawing process that brought his unique vision to life.
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Tough-Love Interventions
- Carlo Scarpa treats historic buildings as equals rather than subservient artifacts.
- He intervenes with “tough love,” recutting and resetting materials to create a new layered narrative.
Origins Of The Querini Stampalia Commission
- The Querini Stampalia was a minor noble palazzo turned foundation with a river entrance and library.
- Giuseppe Mazzariol, a friend of Scarpa, commissioned ground-floor works to broaden the museum's programme.
Reassert Original Orientation
- Restore a building’s original orientation when it improves usability and identity.
- Scarpa reasserted the palazzo’s canal-facing character and solved flooding and access pragmatics with a new bridge and thresholds.