AD Classics: Olivetti Showroom / Carlo Scarpa

Tucked discreetly beneath the colonnade of Saint Mark's Square in Venice, Carlo Scarpa's Olivetti Showroom exerts a quiet yet unmistakable presence. Though often overshadowed by the grandeur of nearby landmarks—St. Mark's Basilica, the Clocktower, the Loggetta, and the Procuratie Vecchie—it attracts a particular kind of visitor: those who seek out one of Scarpa's architectural gems hidden in plain sight. Modest in scale but rich in detail, the showroom is meticulously maintained by FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano), the National Trust for Italy.

AD Classics: Olivetti Showroom / Carlo Scarpa
via Flickr User: seier+seier, under license CC BY-NC 2.0 via Flickr User: seier+seier, under license CC BY-NC 2.0
  • architects: Carlo Scarpa
  • Location: Venice, Italy
  • Project Year: 1958
  • Photographs: via Flickr User: seier+seier, under license CC BY-NC 2.0
  • Photographs: Jonathan Yeung
  • Photographs: Orch_chemollo
  • Photographs: EBRIMINI via Shutterstock

Tucked discreetly beneath the colonnade of Saint Mark's Square in Venice, Carlo Scarpa's Olivetti Showroom exerts a quiet yet unmistakable presence. Though often overshadowed by the grandeur of nearby landmarks—St. Mark's Basilica, the Clocktower, the Loggetta, and the Procuratie Vecchie—it attracts a particular kind of visitor: those who seek out one of Scarpa's architectural gems hidden in plain sight. Modest in scale but rich in detail, the showroom is meticulously maintained by FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano), the National Trust for Italy.

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