In the piazza near the museum Querini Stampalia lies a contemporary pedestrian path that separates itself from that of the typical Venetian bridge. The bridge, designed by Carlo Scapa, uses materials not commonly found in the nearby piazzas as well as an intense attention to tectonics that makes it truly unique. Scarpa’s design uses simplicity and scale to prevent it from being obtrusive next to the sixteenth century structure it attaches to.

After a brief, three day visit in Venice, we were tasked to design a new bridge for this plaza, a bridge that pays homage to that of Scarpa’s, while creating a unique experience of its own. My approach towards this design problem was to create a design that served the same purpose as what Scarpa’s bridge was intended to in the 1960’s when it was constructed. By using modern construction techniques and materials, the bridge I created would act as a landmark, revitalizing the piaza and allowing it to stand out. Being constructed next to the Scarpa bridge and an adjacent seventeenth century bridge, the three would appear as a progression of Venetian architecture.

Materiality + Method

Modern materials and construction methods were chosen for this project in order to establish a style unique to this specific piaza in Venice, as well as to allow a short construction period. The colors for each mateial are all pulled from the color pallette directly adjacent to where the bridge lies. The structure of the bridge is very simplistic, drawing inspiration from Carlo Scarpa’s work nearby, while the perforated steel sides and orange handrails are organic to honor Venice’s unique network of canals that are a part of everyday Venetian life.