David Chipperfield Architects have extensively renovated the Procuratie Vecchie, the oldest part of the Procuratie on St. Mark’s Square in Venice. At the same time, they created new rooms under the roof of the historic building, which will be open to the public in future.

David Chipperfield Architects have extensively renovated the Procuratie Vecchie, the oldest part of the Procuratie on St. Mark’s Square in Venice. At the same time, they created new rooms under the roof of the historic building, which will be open to the public in future.

Less than a year after completing the highly acclaimed restoration of the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, David Chipperfield Architects have completed the refurbishment of another highly significant building. A few days ago, the Procuratie Vecchie, the northern wing of the Procuratie on St. Mark’s Square in Venice, was opened to the public. This oldest part of the complex, which frames Piazza San Marco on three sides, is also one of the most important examples of Renaissance architecture in the city. The Florentine Jacopo Sansovino in particular, who took over the project begun by Bartolomeo Bon in 1517 in 1529, ensured that the High Renaissance, which was already in full bloom in Florence and Rome, also gained a foothold in Venice. The Procuratie Vecchie, however, still show the Venetian style of the Renaissance.

Less than a year after completing the highly acclaimed restoration of the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, David Chipperfield Architects have completed the refurbishment of another highly significant building. A few days ago, the Procuratie Vecchie, the northern wing of the Procuratie on St. Mark’s Square in Venice, was opened to the public. This oldest part of the complex, which frames Piazza San Marco on three sides, is also one of the most important examples of Renaissance architecture in the city. The Florentine Jacopo Sansovino in particular, who took over the project begun by Bartolomeo Bon in 1517 in 1529, ensured that the High Renaissance, which was already in full bloom in Florence and Rome, also gained a foothold in Venice. The Procuratie Vecchie, however, still show the Venetian style of the Renaissance.

The Generali insurance company has been based in the Procuratie Vecchie since 1831. The new company rented its first offices on St. Mark’s Square as early as the year it was founded. Today, the north wing of the Procuratie is fully owned by the insurance group. In 2017, David Chipperfield Architects were commissioned to comprehensively renovate the Procuratie Vecchie and at the same time adapt it to new usage requirements. A significant part of the renovations served the purpose of creating publicly accessible areas in the old Procuratie, which are used by the Generali Foundation “The Human Safety Net”. To this end, exhibition rooms, event areas, offices and an auditorium were created on the third floor of the Procuratie Vecchie.

The Generali insurance company has been based in the Procuratie Vecchie since 1831. The new company rented its first offices on St. Mark’s Square as early as the year it was founded. Today, the north wing of the Procuratie is fully owned by the insurance group. In 2017, David Chipperfield Architects were commissioned to comprehensively renovate the Procuratie Vecchie and at the same time adapt it to new usage requirements. A significant part of the renovations served the purpose of creating publicly accessible areas in the old Procuratie, which are used by the Generali Foundation “The Human Safety Net”. To this end, exhibition rooms, event areas, offices and an auditorium were created on the third floor of the Procuratie Vecchie.

The majority of the new rooms were created on the top floor of the building. As light had previously only reached here through small oculus windows in the Renaissance façade, David Chipperfield Architects inserted large skylights into the gently sloping roof surface. The brickwork was exposed on the walls and the rooms were connected with a representative enfilade.

The majority of the new rooms were created on the top floor of the building. As light had previously only reached here through small oculus windows in the Renaissance façade, David Chipperfield Architects inserted large skylights into the gently sloping roof surface. The brickwork was exposed on the walls and the rooms were connected with a representative enfilade.

To open up the newly designed top floor, the architects built a new staircase into the historic building. It is located between the courtyards of the Procuratie Vecchie in the center of the wing building. The staircase ends at the top in the new “Central Pavilion”, which David Chipperfield Architects inserted into the roofscape of the Procuratie. On the one hand, it brings light into the new staircase with its large windows. On the other hand, it provides access to the two large roof terraces – a typical Venetian element – that flank the pavilion.

To open up the newly designed top floor, the architects built a new staircase into the historic building. It is located between the courtyards of the Procuratie Vecchie in the center of the wing building. The staircase ends at the top in the new “Central Pavilion”, which David Chipperfield Architects inserted into the roof landscape of the Procuratie. On the one hand, it brings light into the new staircase with its large windows. On the other hand, it provides access to the two large roof terraces – a typical Venetian element – that flank the pavilion.

As far-reaching as the renovations to the Procuratie Vecchie are, David Chipperfield Architects attached great importance to working in the spirit of Venetian architecture. This is particularly evident in the surface materials used. The walls, for example, were plastered with Marmorino or given a scialbatura finish where they are not exposed to stone. The floors are made of terrazzo or pastellone. The door reveals of the newly broken passages are made of artificial stone. The exterior of the Cental Pavilion is painted using the cocciopesto technique. For the roof terraces, the architects chose paint made from ground terracotta tiles.

David Chipperfield Architects followed the findings even more meticulously than in Venice when renovating the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin.

As far-reaching as the renovations to the Procuratie Vecchie are, David Chipperfield Architects attached great importance to working in the spirit of Venetian architecture. This is particularly evident in the surface materials used. The walls, for example, were plastered with Marmorino or given a scialbatura finish where they are not exposed to stone. The floors are made of terrazzo or pastellone. The door reveals of the newly broken passages are made of artificial stone. The exterior of the Cental Pavilion is painted using the cocciopesto technique. For the roof terraces, the architects chose paint made from ground terracotta tiles.

David Chipperfield Architects followed the findings even more meticulously than in Venice when renovating the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin.

OMA developed a highly flexible modular system for Rotterdam, making it the most sustainable building in the Netherlands.

The public client demanded nothing less than the most sustainable building in the Netherlands. OMA developed a highly flexible and insulated modular system for Rotterdam’s city administration with units that can be used as both offices and apartments – right in the heart of the city center. After all, it is to be redensified.

Once again, the architectural metropolis of Rotterdam is in the throes of renewal. After years of crisis, the current motto is: “Urbanization of the port area and densification of the city center”. Two years ago, local hero Rem Koolhaas and his office OMA set the direction when they erected the high-rise complex “De Rotterdam” on the banks of the Maas (Baumeister 1/2014). This was followed last spring by the spectacular market hall (Baumeister 3/2015), which was placed next to the weekly market and next to the medieval Laurens Church by local rival architects MVRDV in the form of an oversized cookie roll. Incidentally, the architects from MVRDV will soon be striking the next blow: They will realize a walk-in, spherical art depot for the renowned Museum Boijmans van Beunigen in the middle of the Museumpark.

Port and city center – two focal points

The second part of the city administration’s slogan, redensification, can now be easily verified on site. Shortly before the turn of the year, OMA’s latest superstructure, the “Timmerhuis” (carpenter’s house) designed by Reinier de Graaf and Rem Koolhaas, opened not far from the town hall on the Coolsingel and the new market hall on the Binnenrotte. Reinier de Graaf, the project architect responsible for the Timmerhuis, comments on the increasingly clear urban dual strategy as follows: “OMA pursued different urbanistic goals with the two large-scale projects, both of which are multifunctional: De Rotterdam was intended to create a new city center south of the Maas. In contrast, the Timmerhuis was transplanted into the existing inner-city center.” Léon Wielaard, who was specially appointed project developer of the Timmerhuis by the city council, also announces this strategy: he wants to promote the development that began when the elevated railway line running along the Binnenrotte river was tunneled under in 1993 and the Blaak metro station was built. This meant that the severe disruption to city life could finally be reversed, as many of the houses built after the Second World War were affected by the location of the viaduct. It was only thanks to the route-shaped Binnenrotte square, designed by West 8 in 1996, that many later urban projects became possible. “The Laurens district in particular has benefited significantly from this,” Wielaard is convinced and believes that, in addition to the new market hall, the Timmerhuis will now also offer plenty of urban activities. The Rotterdam project developer is thinking primarily of the public passage in the Timmerhuis, which was deliberately advertised with store concepts that have also been successful in the market hall: small businesses – restaurants, cafés or specialty stores with unusual offers. Since February 6, the Timmerhuis has also been home to a city history museum, the “Museum Rotterdam”, which tells the story of the city on the Rotte from its medieval beginnings to the present day.

You can find out more about this in the current Baumeister 3/2016