On the 10th of February Dip15 was taken around the Fondazione Querini Stampalia by Marigrazia Lazzeri.

The Fondazione Querini Stampalia was founded in 1869 by Conte Giovanni, a member of the Querini Stampala family. It is located in the Palazzo Querini Stampalia, which was built in the 16th century. It is a cultural institution that contains an art gallery and library as well general spaces for cultural events.

Museum

The upper levels are a great example of the House-Museum typology, where great efforts were made to recreate the atmosphere of the previous Querini-Stampalia residence. Paintings are placed on the walls in a collaged manner with no inscriptions that tell you who painted what and when. Instead these are listed on multilingual sheets beside the entrances to each room.

There is also an area devoted to temporary exhibitions of contemporary art. This area follows the more typical white cube aesthetic.

Library

The library rooms also retain much of the atmosphere of the Querini-Stampalia residence. Study is carried out under chandeliers surrounded by art.

Architectural Renovation

Between 1959 and 1963, Carlo Scarpa restored part of the ground floor. Further renovations were completed by architects Valeriano Pastor and Mario Botta in the 1980s and 1990s. Scarpa’s initial restoration was very extensive and shaped in style and content the subsequent works of Pastor and Botta. (Pastor being an architect who cooperated with Scarpa in the 1950s.) Scarpa’s renovation consisted of a relocation of the main entrance and a redesigning the ground level in light of the flood risk that all Venetian Palazzos face. The old entrance was replaced by porous gates that allowed water to enter the building. Channels were installed to control the flow of floodwater, should it rise. Exhibitions were removed so that the lower rooms and garden area could be redesigned to host cultural activities.

Pastor focused on improving circulation between the various services in the building. His metal and stone steps are particularly accomplished. Botta completed the modern auditorium, the main wood and brass staircase and elevator shaft, as well as renovations to existing Scarpa interventions.