Mario Botta

Mario Botta’s project for the Querini Stampalia Foundation is an ambitious challenge: to unite past and present in a space that tells a story while looking to the future.

The Foundation, with its layers and transformations, thus becomes a symbol of constantly evolving balance.

The Ticinese architect undertook the project free of charge, as a gesture of gratitude for the welcome he received from Giuseppe Mazzariol during his student years at the IUAV University of Venice.

Botta's project engages in dialogue with Carlo Scarpa's intervention, respecting its spirit and drawing on key elements: essential lines, material and color contrasts, and that meticulous attention to detail that makes every corner a unique visual experience.

Botta's intervention is a complete redesign that enhances the functionality of the palace. It reorganizes the vertical connections, adapting the third floor, the attic, and a loggia on the fourth floor.

He renovates the ground floor, creating a new entrance and reclaiming an inner courtyard, transforming it into a foyer covered by a striking skylight.

At the center of this courtyard—now called Corte Mazzariol—stands an ancient well, recalling the place’s original function. The metal roofing lets in natural light, which shimmers through the space like reflections on a Venetian canal.

Botta also rethinks access to the Foundation. The elegant Scarpa Bridge becomes the entrance for special occasions, while the new everyday entrance is moved to Campo Santa Maria Formosa, where the more recent parts of the complex are located.

In this intervention, the 17th-century bridge is restored and modernized with a platform for reception and rest, creating a fluid connection between past and present.

The ground floor becomes the beating heart of services for visitors. It houses the reception, ticket office, cloakroom, bookshop, and café. All these areas revolve around Corte Mazzariol, which serves as a crossroads for various public pathways.

Botta adds a theatrical touch: a new monumental yet functional staircase, flanked by two elevators to ensure accessibility. The design is completed with a modern 132-seat auditorium, further expanding the Foundation’s cultural offerings.