Procuratie Vecchie

Once the seat of the Procurators of Venice, the building – designed by architect Bartolomeo Bon and later by Jacopo Sansovino in the first half of the 16th century, during the renovatio urbis programme of Doge Andrea Gritti – takes on a new international social role by hosting the headquarters of The Human Safety Net within its historic walls: the new-look Procuratie will be a hub for social initiatives, a globally connected high-tech space, as well as a Renaissance work of art.

In order to interpret and give meaning to the historical changes and practical adaptations that have been implemented, David Chipperfield Architects Milan developed a plan based on a series of interventions that take account of the complexity of the building: the restoration of the first and second floors, location of the most important offices of the Generali Insurance Company and leased spaces; the improvement of accessibility through the introduction of a new vertical circulation plan; and the refurbishment of the third floor, with public access to the exhibition and work spaces, the event spaces and the auditorium connected with The Human Safety Net, a Generali Group foundation.

Stone comes into play on the third floor, a 2,500 m² space dedicated to The Human Safety and designed by Migliore+Servetto Studio with our assistance. Our task? The renovation of the reconstituted stone portals, with polished finish: before being placed in the building, the portals were handcrafted and pre-installed at our headquarters in Chiampo (VI), where a team of technicians and experts checked the features of every single piece.