Dolce & Gabbana, Venice | Carbondale
Venice / Italy / 2018
When asked to design the new Venetian Dolce&Gabbana flagship store, Eric Carlson and his
Paris based office CARBONDALE set out to create a new and different retail experience, one
that customizes and enhances the cultural values and traditions of Italian quality and
authenticity shared by both Dolce&Gabbana and the city of Venice.
Eric explains that when designing a store in Venice it is essential to understand that “Venice
is not a shopping destination like Paris or Milan, Venice is a cultural destination”. Visitors
from all over the globe come to explore a vast array of cultural traditions from the
extraordinary architecture and urbanism, to the International Mostra film festival, the Art and
Architecture Biennale’s and of course Carnival. A commitment to the Venetian artistic
heritage & craftsmanship to create a Dolce&Gabbana store that is first and foremost a
“culture destination” became the genesis of the architectural design direction, a challenge
that was supported by Save Venice and Venetian Heritage associations.
The 800 square meter store location was perfectly selected to fulfill the design strategy as a
pinnacle of Venetian culture. Situated over two levels along Via XXII Marzo the store
combines both a contemporary building structure with the breathtaking historical Palazzo
Torres, a former bank, from 1880 designed by the Venetian Architect and Sculpture
Giuseppe Torres in the neo-Venetian renaissance style.
For a brand defined by contrasts, the exterior and interior design explores and accentuates
the contrasts between the “historical” and the “contemporary” with a spatial design inspired
by the Italian palazzo model with their distinctive rooms each with a characteristically
different colors and finishes. Eric Carlson’s modern design pays homage to traditional
Venetian craftsmanship dating back centuries.
The experience begins by penetrating the free-standing symmetrical stone façade to discover
the meticulously restored 19th entry volume displaying the brands accessories for men and
women. The remarkable space is lavishly detailed with intricately carved dark wood walls
and ceilings and elaborately patterned inlay mosaic stone floor creating a sumptuous and
overwhelming ambiance. The contemporary furniture is delicately designed to disappear or
to reflect and accentuate the historical envelope.
The journey then leads to a linear architectural “atrium-canal” flooded with natural light. A
spectacular 20 meter long by 4.5 meter high wall of 24 karat gold glass mosaic tiles
handmade locally in Venice by traditional mosaic craftsmen Orsoni and Friul. Reflecting the
natural light the shimmering gold mosaic wall supports 45 floating brass shelves displaying
latest Dolce&Gabbana bags and accessories. Functionally the central atrium space servers
to organized the surrounding rooms for women’s ready-to-wear, men’s ready-to-wear and
high-end jewelry. Carefully selected Italian and Venetian materials and craftsmanship
including marbles, stone and glass mosaics, wood inlays, silk damasks woven fabrics and
hand blown Murano glass define and differentiate the sequence of 14 rooms while giving
authority to each product category.
The large women’s ready-to-wear room is RED, walls lined with Rosso Levanto marble and
stone mosaic tiles whiles the men’s ready-to-wear is GREEN with Verde Menta marble and
mosaics. The BLUE high-jewelry space is lined with dark blue glass mosaic walls
punctuated with glimmering gold glass mosaic stars inspired by the 10th century arched
portico of the Basilica at Piazza San Marco. The GREEN stair tower space lined in
Verde Antigua marble leads visitors up to the prestigious 2nd level. Upstairs a 20 meter long
wall mirror visually and magically doubles the size of each room. The BLUE & GREEN
rooms for men’s formal-wear are wrapped in blue silk Damasks made by the historic
Venetian Bevilaqcua weavers, and Irish Green & Italian Blue Boquira marbles. The GOLD
women’s evening-wear room is defined with wood inlayed flooring, brilliant gold Damask and
Giallo Siena Marble. The spatial experience crescendos in three exceptional rooms from the
1800’s meticulously restored and finely inhabited with exquisitely designed furniture to
accommodate the Dolce&Gabbana’s men’s Sartoria and women’s Serra creations.
Eric Carlson’s design considered every element within the spaces as a customized
expression and blending of the Dolce&Gabbana image and Venetian traditional
craftsmanship. The door handles, clothing hooks, display stands and mirrors are hand-blown
in Murano glass by the Seguso family, and the Damascus fabric from the historic Venetian
weavers Bevilacqua and Rubelli. As said by Mr. Carlson “These works are timeless, both
contemporary and historical but inherently Venetian, and inherently Dolce&Gabbana.”
“Luxury” for CARBONDALE is measured by the reflection and consideration for every detail
and Eric Carlson is personally involved in all aspects from the beginning to the end. Each
project developes an ingenious Design-Strategy derived from an extensive research phase
that guides the creative process to uniquely personalized designs at every scale. For
example, the seating created for the Venice store is inspired by the “couturier soul” of
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The tailor’s “pincushion” became the starting point
for the voluptuous and inviting chairs and sofas are wrapped in luxurious velvets and colored
according to the different room themes.
CARBONDALE’s design masterfully unites and expresses the depth, diversity and richness
shared by both the Venetian and Dolce&Gabbana cultures through an architectural
experience of discovery by unveiling historical treasures and exemplary contemporary design
to celebrate a brand and a city.
[IT - testo di FRIUL MOSAIC]
Lo sfondo dell’opera firmata FRIUL MOSAIC è Venezia dove, tra palazzi rinascimentali e tipici canali è stata inaugurata la boutique della maison DOLCE & GABBANA.
La location è lo storico e ottocentesco Palazzo Torres, a due passi da Piazza San Marco, riportato agli antichi splendori dai due stilisti siciliani dopo un attento lavoro di restauro.
L’eclettismo dello stile architettonico e decorativo è il tratto predominate del palazzo. Gli interni, come anche le facciate esterne, combinano infatti motivi di diversa ascendenza: orientaleggiante, gotica, ma soprattutto rinascimentale e barocca. I preziosi pavimenti a intarsi marmorei delle due parti nobili del primo e del secondo piano del palazzo sono di grande pregio, fitti di motivi decorativi e di raffinati accordi cromatici intonati alle decorazioni dei soffitti.
L’obiettivo del progetto, che porta la firma dell’architetto americano Eric Carlson dello studio Carbondale, è stato celebrare gli ideali di cultura, storia, bellezza e unicità, tipici del capoluogo Veneto.
Una volta varcate le porte del palazzo, ci si trova immersi nella parte nobile, una pagina di storia che mantiene le sembianze di un tempo: gli interni sono interamente rivestiti da boiserie originale, dipinta e decorata con la tecnica trompe-l’oeil, portata al suo antico splendore; i pavimenti sono realizzati in intarsi multicolore di marmo antico, le pareti sono ornate con bassorilievi in legno che ricordano scene tratte dalle attività artigianali e mercantili della Venezia di fine Ottocento.
Ottocento metri quadrati distribuiti su due piani e arredati nel pieno rispetto degli ambienti originali, caratterizzati da affreschi illuminati da lampadari in vetro di Murano, preziose tappezzerie damascate di seta, antiche boiserie e specchi barocchi.
Tre i mesi di lavoro durante i quali l’azienda friulana ha realizzato 350 metri quadrati di superfici in mosaico su disegno, seguendo le richieste della prestigiosa casa di alta moda.
I pavimenti del pianterreno sono stati decorati con tessere di marmo di diversi colori, allineati con le tonalità cromatiche che caratterizzano ogni ambiente della boutique. La parete principale è stata interamente impreziosita da tessere di vetro con foglia d’oro 24 carati che disegnano un motivo a ventaglio. Di grande suggestione, infine, la sala dedicata alla gioielleria con pareti in mosaico ispirate al cielo stellato della Basilica di San Marco. Dall’abbigliamento agli accessori, dalla pelletteria all’area jewelry, la nuova boutique DOLCE & GABBANA è un inno al luxury style.
Un corridoio lungo 20 metri, le cui pareti sono ricoperte di mosaico in foglia oro 24 carati, realizzato a mano da artigiani locali, e stucco veneziano marmorino.
Nella parte moderna della boutique interamente progettata da Carbondale: cinque stanze ciascuna delle quali ha una pavimentazione in mosaico composto da diverse cromature di marmi. L’area dedicata all’universo femminile è in mosaico e marmi color rosso levanto. Nella parte dedicata alle collezioni Uomo il pavimento è in mosaico di marmo verde menta come le pareti. Vi è al centro un grande specchio blu. Infine vi è una stanza pensata per le collezioni Fine Jewellery; qui il mosaico dei pavimenti è in marmo nero marquinia, le pareti in mosaico di vetro blu scuro sono decorate con stelle in foglia oro che richiamano quelle presenti sul famoso orologio della Torre dei Mori di Piazza San Marco. Sulla parete più in fondo è presente un grande specchio in stile barocco.
When asked to design the new Venetian Dolce&Gabbana flagship store, Eric Carlson and hisParis based office CARBONDALE set out to create a new and different retail experience, onethat customizes and enhances the cultural values and traditions of Italian quality andauthenticity shared by both Dolce&Gabbana and the city of Venice.Eric explains that when designing a store in Venice it is essential to understand that “Veniceis not a shopping destination like Paris or Milan, Venice is a...
- Year 2018
- Work finished in 2018
- Status Completed works
- Type Showrooms/Shops
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