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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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.
Design As Moments
- Scarpa composes architecture from intensely crafted moments rather than a single total vision.
- He designs jewel-like elements and orchestrates them into an assembled whole.
Built For Tides
- Scarpa embraces Venice’s watery reality by letting water enter and circulate within ground-floor spaces.
- He balances polished finishes with raw concrete and raised thresholds to acknowledge tides poetically and practically.