This project proposes a contemporary glassworks factory and cultural center situated within the urban and lagoon context of Venice. Drawing inspiration from the symmetry and order found in traditional Venetian architecture, the design organizes a complex program—glassmaking studios, galleries, retail spaces, and dining—into a formally balanced structure that reflects the city’s pattern-based fabric while introducing a modern architectural language.

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The building is arranged as a sequence of interconnected wings, each housing a distinct function. Public shops and galleries are positioned along the primary circulation spine, while glassworks studios anchor the site’s corners, taking advantage of natural light and ventilation. At the heart of the plan, a central courtyard and Portego connect indoor and outdoor zones, providing moments of pause and openness between production and exhibition.

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The section develops vertically with a café on the second level and a rooftop restaurant offering 360-degree views of Venice. This elevated dining space serves as a public destination, accessible by a sloped park that wraps the southern edge of the site—establishing a continuous experience between ground-level civic life and panoramic urban vistas.

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Spatial clarity is supported by a formal ordering system that maintains symmetry in both plan and elevation, while internal zoning responds to operational needs. Circulation corridors, workshops, and service areas are discretely integrated to ensure smooth movement between functions without compromising the architectural integrity of public-facing spaces.

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Materiality, massing, and rhythm reference the modular traditions of Venetian design, but the expression is distinctly contemporary—blending transparency and solidity, craft and industry, past and present. The Chihuly Glassworks project ultimately acts as both a working factory and a cultural landmark, designed to honor the art of glass while reinforcing Venice’s identity as a place of invention and beauty.