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Venice Glassworks Project

Venice Glassworks
Venice, Italy
2004
Undergraduate Project

The project is a new glassworks studio for the artist Dale Chihuly. The site for the glassworks is a new island to the south of San Giorgio in Venice, Italy. The program calls for eight glass studios, a public campo, a formal restaurant, an informal restaurant, and residences for the eight studio masters and their apprentices. The design is inspired by the campi of Venice as well as Chihuly’s own on-site installations.

The masonry container’s exterior houses the residences and relates to the context of Venice. The campo in the center of the design provides places for performances, terraces for dining, and unique spaces for Chihuly to display his glass masterworks to the public. The eight glass studios within the masonry container are pavilion-like glass and steel constructions that allow public space to permeate into the buildings. The formal restaurant is located at the top of the tower, permitting dramatic views to the mainland of Venice.