Italian Design Grand Tour

Made in Italy - Mind Map

noreply@blogger.com (Alan Cheng) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 02:04:00 +0000

Above is the mind map of what my group's vision of what Italian design is from a Canadian perspective. We believe that Italian design is represented by five keywords, which are Emotion, Communication, Experience, Innovation, and Tradition. If you would to download a copy of this map, click here for the PDF version.

- Alan, Michelle, Lindsay

Portrait Round-up

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:17:00 +0000

Here's a quick portrait round-up of just a few of all the interesting people we've had the opportunity to meet.

Andrea Branzi gave us a lecture at the Triennale Design Museum.

Stefano Giovannoni gave us a lecture and tour of his office in Milan.

Marc Sadler let us see his studio space, and talked a bit about his work.

Alessandro Mendini let us take a peak into his intimate atelier.

Valerio Castelli introduced to his Design Library in Milan.

Laboratorio della Creativita e dello Stile Italiani

noreply@blogger.com (Ruby) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 17:40:00 +0000

Macro Museum, Roma - Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

"Creativity Lab" at the Macro Museum

Our Italian Design Grand Tour is slowly coming to an end and here we are in our last week, reflecting on what we've seen and making connections with what we've learned. It almost feels like our studio back home: the long hours, the constant snacking, the uncomfortable stools, and being surrounded by our fellow classmates. Then again this familiarity is interrupted by the high windows and the organic desk that can cater to group work or individual work.

You may have thought the trip was all touristic fun and nerdy design trips, but it has been more than that. We've all gained so much in the past three weeks: inspirational stories and advice, new appreciation for the work that goes into what we do, and a different cultural view on design and lifestyle in general. On top of that, we've visited many successful design firms, met numerous design legends and seen countless iconic products. Now, we are compiling together everything we've learned about what "Italian design" is and depicting it in a mind map presentation.

We are working in groups of three and discussing what keywords best describe Italian design.

We are brainstorming.

We are making mind map after mind map to figure out how our keywords connect.

We are posting blog posts like crazy in between everything else.

We are eating so many snacks - the favourites are Loacker wafers and bruschetti chips.

Of course we are sketching - Justine's Moleskin is packed

with portraits and sketches of who and what we've seen.

Everyday has been so non-stop, we haven't had a real chance to catch our breath and reflect on our trip. This workshop has allowed us to express what we have learned in Italy. It's for certain that we are few of the lucky design students to have this experience.

Ruby

Creating and Preserving Brand Heritage

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:35:00 +0000

Various corporate museums throughout Florence and Milan - June

Richard Ginori, Piaggio & Salvatore Ferragamo


Kartell & Alessi

A corporate museum is a type of institution that combines elements of a profit-making organization with a traditional museum, giving the public a glance into the past, present and future of a company. We've visited several corporate museums on this trip, each one taking a different approach in exhibiting the evolution of the products, people and organization of the company.

A great archive of products are displayed to showcase the evolution of the company through its products. Walking through the Kartell museum, we can see the development of the company over time, from producing plastic accessories for cars and laboratories to plastic furniture and goods for the home.

Stories are often told, where visitors are able to connect to the company and its products on a personal level. At the Piaggio museum in Florence, we took a look at the history of Vespa through family, societal and political changes, as they were closely tied with the evolution of the company itself.

Similar to a traditional museum, products are sometimes viewed as works of art and cultural icons. For instance, beauty, craftsmanship and innovative material use of the shoes were highlighted in the Ferragamo Museum, with references to celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Greta Garbo and Audrey Hepburn. They have all graced the media with Ferragamo shoes, making them icons in fashion.

Finally, corporate museums are not only displays for the public, but internally for employees as well. At Alessi, the museum houses both sold and frozen products, organized by categories so employees can easily browse through them.

Xinran, Foong Ling, Ruby

The Importance of Communication in Design Education

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 09:40:00 +0000

Milan, Florence - June 10th, May 31st, June 9th (respectively)

The photography studio at Politecnico di Milano

Education in Italy emphasizes the importance of communication as a strong companion to design. The schools here teach students cinematography, photography, writing and graphic design. It is important that students are able to express the idea behind the product in order to sell it to both the consumer and the manufacturer.

During our visit to ISIA in Rome, Marco discussed the effect packaging design has an impact on goods. He used the success of high profile fashion brands as an example of how powerful storytelling in ads can create a mystique that sells the product. This may explain why exhibitions are more prevalent in Italian design to help promote the message of the product.

The following are things we noted on the visit to ISIA, Domus and the Polytechnico of Milano.

When we visited Politec, we were amazed to see the extensive area dedicated to photography. We met a group of first year students who were working on an assignment. They told us how Politec emphasizes proper techniques for taking pictures in order to best communicate their products. They also had a lot of equipment at their disposal, including DSLR cameras, tripods, lights and large studio spaces separated into individual spaces by black curtains. Each studio area was also darkened, so students could learn how to properly apply lighting techniques. Learning these skills is important because if a product is not shown well enough, the meaning or importance of it could be lost.

The gigantic white background screen in Politec's photography studio

First year students learning proper photography techniques

First year students learning proper lighting techniques

ISIA

On May 31st, we visited ISIA, the Instituto Superiore per le Industrie Artistiche. Stefano Bettega, the school's director, emphasized their main philosophy of “learn by doing”. He also stressed the importance of teaching communication alongside product design. Students learned how to create, direct, edit, and script their own videos in order to best communicate their ideas and projects. They worked in groups to showcase their clothing creations at a fashion show created entirely by the students. Their projects were communicated to the public in the form of a video compilation. Students were also invited to contribute to the Milan Fashion Week in 2010, through the creation of installations. Masters students are also required to submit their thesis in the form of a bound book. This allows them to clearly organize their ideas and communicate their project outlines and outcomes effectively.

Thesis book created by a masters student at ISIA

Domus Academy

We also visited Domus Academy, where their primary method for teaching effective communication lies in the creation of prototypes, drawings, project proposals, and presentations. Students hone these techniques by working with external companies to further develop their ideas. On our tour through their design studio, we were fortunate to see various student projects in the fields of fashion design, product design, and car design. Here is a quick look at some of the students' prototypes:

Keywords: Communication, Education, Installation, Exhibit, Graphic Design, Publication, Photography

ciao,

Lindsay, Michelle, Alan

Sapienza University of Rome, Presentation of Prof. Orlandi (Director of DATA Department), Lecture of Prof. Rullo

noreply@blogger.com (Alan Cheng) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 22:39:00 +0000

Sapienza University, DATA Department, Rome - Monday, June 20th

- Alan, Michelle, Lindsay

An excerpt from LAGO APPARTAMENTO - A Living Showroom

noreply@blogger.com (Carmen Sandiego) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:48:00 +0000

This is an excerpt from a book about LAGO's Appartamento concept. The book covers the story behind the appartamento concept and some short dialogues and reflections tangential to this idea. The book is currently floating around, so if you are interested in reading more from it, come find me, it might be in my hands. Anyway, I've copied an interesting section regarding a dialogue with Marco Bettiol (VIU) about the future and changes in the design world. Enjoy!

Re-inventing Made in Italy Dialogue with Marco Bettiol

With the appartamento, LAGO presented a highly innovative project and comment on the new values of design. In the Appartamento we organized a series of seminars, where we addressed the various elements that seemed to us to be the important factors for design – now and in the future.

During these seminars a number of interesting issues emerged regarding the evolution of design. A particularly interesting one was the conceptualisation of design in terms of it being a sense-making activity. We must now move from designing objects to designing meanings, because the new values of design are not about producing more and more objects (the world is already overflowing with them) but instead to produce meanings and to focus more on the immaterial side of the product. We believe that design has to be more about making sense of the world around us and to provide and create the new services and strategies that are really needed. Also of course products, but those products will be directly related to meanings.

This does not mean that aesthetic values are no longer important. Not at all, aesthetics are still significant but not as a value per se. we have to focus on how people relate to and with the product, about how the life of the product will be important for the user. Products, or aspects of them, are undoubtedly important, but we must improve on this whole approach. And one way to improve it is to give sense and meaning to the products around us – I think this will be the future.

Another element, that is very important and which we also discussed during the seminars, is the issue of sustainability. Designers and firms need to re-consider the whole process and product life cycle: this is a compelling and important, but we must improve on this whole approach. And one way to improve it is to give sense and meaning to the products around us – I think this will be the future.

Another element, that is very important and which we also discussed during the seminars, is the issue of sustainability. Designers and firms need to re-consider the whole process and product life cycle: this is a compelling and important question that design in the future should be able to answer. Consumers are more environmentally conscious than in the past and they are a now looking for sustainable products. Sustainability has become one of the new values that design must take on board. Particularly because making a product sustainable is not just a matter of applying new technical solutions but of considering the complexity both of the production and the use of the product. Designers have a great responsibility from this point of view.

The discussions in the seminars were also helpful because thy addressed the issue of the important new emergent Italian design scene. In Italy a whole new generation of firms are emerging at the moment, all of whom are focusing on new design values. So with regard to “made in Italy”, some young companies are definitely inventing a whole new approach. These are not the large consolidated companies, but smaller and less established ones. Young creative people especially find in these smaller companies the opportunity to take more risks and to express themselves in a way that would otherwise be limited. The alchemy created by the need of small firms to compete and the talents of a new generation of creative people is a very powerful and strong base for sustaining innovation. Entrepreneurship (the capacity for taking risks) and creativity (the capacity to exploring the new) are the two important ingredients and the heart of the new emergent Italian design scene.

Macro Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Architecture

noreply@blogger.com (pyyiu) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 17:29:00 +0000

The architecture of the Macro Contemporary Museum on Via Reggio Emilia was unique and intriguing. It maintained the historical building with a contemporary expansion and restoration to the museum designed by architect Odile Decq. The historical building was once the Peroni Brewery built in the early twentieth century. The architecture is meant to remove traditional boundaries and ignore the urban versus cultural existences.

Main lobby at the entrance of the museum

Main Entrance of the museum

Restoration of the old brewery

Rooftop that has a glass waterfall and restaurant

Jessica Yiu, Laura Moor, Kelvin Chow

Italian Neorealism

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:21:00 +0000

ISIA, Rome - Monday, June 20th

Still of Ossessione, 1942

Italian neorealism (Italian: Neorealismo) is a style of film characterized by stories set amongst the poor and working class, filmed on lcation, frequently using nonprofessional actors. Italian neorealist films mostly contend with the difficult economic and moral conditions of post-World War II Italy, reflecting the changes in the Italian psyche and the conditions of everyday life: poverty and desperation.
source: Wikipedia

Keyword: History

Lindsay, Michelle, Alan

Grand Tour of Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:15:00 +0000

Twenty of Carleton University's industrial design students traveled overseas to Italy with the expectations to gain a better understanding of Italian design. Throughout June we traveled to Rome, Florence, Milan and Venice; visiting a vast range of studios, manufacturing plants, schools, museums and more. Guided by our instructor Lorenzo Imbesi, we met well established designers and other people working in the industry who gave us valuable insight pertaining to the direction of where Italian design is heading. Every day of our tour was packed with scheduled meetings; we were constantly on the move with camera and sketchbook in hand.

"Grand Tour" refers to a traditional and historical journey in the seventeenth and eighteenth century, initially undertaken by upper-class Englishmen. They would travel from city to city in Europe while learning about the culture of whichever city they stayed in. Paris, Rome and Venice were usually key stops on the trip, which could last from a number of months to several years.

During our own grand tour, I feel that seeing and hearing various perspectives has broaden my knowledge of what exactly is Italian design. I'm sad to see the trip coming to a close but I am even more appreciative of having the chance to travel to a country that is tremendously saturated with design culture.

Macro Museum (Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Alan Cheng) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 22:36:00 +0000

Macro Museum - Rome, Milano – June 19^th

- Alan, Michelle, Lindsay

Fabrica- Exploring Forms of Communication

noreply@blogger.com (Michyelle) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 21:03:00 +0000

Fabrica, Venice- Sunday, June 19th, 2011

On June 14th, we visited Fabrica, a design think tank for the Benetton group researching different forms of communication. It is a great place for young designers to experiment, grow and express themselves.

We were given the opportunity to meet two senior designers who watch over the research team. They passionately explained the unique arrangements that allow their team of 20 something artists to be freely creative in their work. From photography, media, visual communication, interaction and design, each person brings their own experiences to the group, as they collectively work on projects. Fresh, new artists are constantly joining the team, with work terms lasting from six to twelve months. The following pictures are of projects that they worked on in the past couple of years.

The team explores different aspects of communication in every project, sometimes focusing on explaining a message through photographic advertisement campaigns...

An advertisement campaign for child safety awareness displayed in their studio.

Interactive and live installations...

Anyone can upload pictures to contribute to the clock, an exploration in social networking and the web.

Exquisite Clock Presentation from Joao Wilbert on Vimeo.

Visit their clock here.

installations of experiments in product design...

This particular exhibit featured a modular furniture collection. While being short on time, the design team decided to host the press photoshoot onsite at the the 2010 Milan Furniture Show. Visit their website for more installations here.

and international public projects...

Everything that they do tells a story that people can relate to. They began the COLORS notebook campaign by inviting people of all ages to create their own version of the company magazine, in which they each told their unique stories. Their library has an archive of over 2000 magazines mailed in from countries around the globe. Click here to view the archive of past publications. :)

These were their final words of advice: it doesn't matter where you're from, as long as the content is valued internationally. Take a look at their website for more inspiration, to explore their installations, articles and to apply to be a part of this amazing team!

Ciao,

Michelle, Lindsay, Alan

Museums’ Interactive and Fun Bathrooms

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria Dam) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 17:13:00 +0000

Taking a look at the playful and innovative bathrooms of the Triennale and Macro Museum

Macro Museum, Rome and Triennale Museum, Milano – June 7^th and 19^th

Alan having fun with the interactive sink in the Macro Museum in Rome :D

Over the four weeks that we have been on the Italian Design Grand Tour, we have seen an incredible amount of famous Italian designers and visited a multitude of their studios and museums. As we were absorbing the Italian culture, the stories and their design style, there is a side note to all of these that are humorous yet very unique and interactive – the bathrooms.

There are two museums that we visited where these bathrooms are intriguing and worth mentioning in this blog – the Triennale Museum in Milan and the Macro Museum in Rome.

The bathroom sink in the Triennale Museum in Milan

In the Triennale, the walls include light installations that gradually change colors to set a pleasant and unique ambiance in such a room. The color changes are cued with the soundtrack playing in the background, which was a Chinese themed instrumental abstract piece with gongs and other sounds that interact with the light. I am not too certain as to why these particular sounds are chosen…maybe it makes the trip to the bathroom more comfortable?

Sink in the Marco Museum in Rome when unused

Color of sink when being used

Layout of the the faucets, taps, sensors and soap dispensers

In the Macro Museum, the washroom has an interactive sink where it is white when unused then turns red when it is being used. The orientation of the nozzles and sensors are creatively placed for a more abstract sink/counter concept. To finish off, the washroom is enclosed in complete stainless steel, including walls and stall doors.

Shannon, Victoria, Calvin

Renewal: History and Architecture

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 16:31:00 +0000

Maxxi Museum, MACRO Museum, Punta Della Dogana, Milan and Venice - June 17th / 19th

During our trip across Italy, we've visited many museums and art galleries, many of which were once churches, factories and various industrial buildings before being renewed and reused for the exhibition spaces they are now. Here are a few examples:

The Punta Della Dogana: aerial view and interior view

The Punta Della Dogana in Venice was once a customs house in the 15th century. It underwent many restoration work before being transformed into a center for contemporary art in 2009.

The Macro Museum

The MACRO museum in Rome was built in the early 20th century as a Peroni brewery. In 1999, leading French architect Odile Decq undertook the restoration project, challenging the traditional perception of public vs. private. The most evident identity she added to the building is the multi-leveled rooftop garden. The roof will house a cafe, terrance seating and a garden, acting as a point of intersection between visitors, artists and ideas.

The MACRO Testaccio

Another extension of the MACRO museum called MACRO Testaccio, is located in the same complex that was the home to a slaughterhouse. The original building, built at the end of the 19th century, signifies the transition from Classic to modern architecture. In 2002, two sections of the slaughterhouse were transformed into exhibition spaces dedicated to contemporary art, followed by fully renovation in 2007 Evolve with the city while preserving part of the history.

Finally, one of our last stops during the trip was the MAXXI Museum. It was completed in 2009 by Zaha Hadid, sitting on the site of former military barracks.

MAXXI Museum, Rome

Italy is a country with such rich history. With the renewal of architecture, the essence of these history can be preserved while adapting to the changes in modern society.

Xinran, Foong Ling, Ruby

THE ORIGIN AND DEMISE OF NEOPLASTICISM

noreply@blogger.com (Anne Charbonneau) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 15:34:00 +0000

MaXXi Museum (Museo Nazionale della Arti del XXI Secolo) - Sunday, June 19th, 2011

Neoplasticism painting by Piet Mondrian

On June 19th we went to MaXXi, a contemporary art museum in Rome. While there we checked out an exhibit about Gerrit Rietveld, an influential Neoplasticism furniture designer and architect. This got me thinking about the whole Neoplasticism movement. I started wondering about its origin and its demise.

MaXXI Museum in Rome

The movement was started by the De Stijl group, a group of Dutch artists in Amsterdam in 1917. The two key artists were, Piet Mondrian and Theo van Doesburg. The movement was founded in Holland during the Great War. It was inspired by the artists’ desire for harmony and balance amidst the chaos and conflict raging around them.

Van Doesburg personified the group. He started calling Mondrian’s followers, “De Stijl”, which is Dutch for “The Style”, and started a magazine by the same name. Through this magazine, van Doesburg carried the group’s ideas throughout Europe until he died in 1931. De Stijl’s ideas about space were founded on the philosophy of Isaac Newton. Newton differentiates between absolute and relative space. Absolute space cannot be experienced; it becomes measurable through relative space. So by creating a relative space like a house, we experience absolute space by shrinking universal space to a human scale.

De Stijl magazine

Neoplasticism chair by Gerrit Rietveld

Neoplasticism architecture by Gerrit Rietveld, Schröderhuis

Mondrian started the movement because he felt that cubism had fallen short of it goal of developing “the expression of pure plastics”, which is why he called the new movement Neoplasticism. The idea behind the movement was the deconstruction of art to its base elements. They did this through colour, shape and space. For colour they used only primary colours and neutrals, red, blue, yellow, grey, white and black. This also added to the abstractness of the work because the primary colours are actual quite unrealistic. They are not found in nature. For shape they reduced the forms to horizontal and vertical lines and planes. Finally, for space, the shapes had to appear to extend into space, materialising the idea of connecting to universal space.

At first, Neoplasticism only inspired painting and sculpture, but soon spread to design architecture. Gerrit Rietveld was one of the main causes of this. This was good news for the movement’s goal of creating close collaboration among the art forms.

The movement ended in 1931 with the death of Van Doesburg. His journal ceased publication in 1932 with a commemorative issue edited by his wife. By then, the original artists had long since gone their separate ways.

Now you know all about Neoplasticism.

By Anne Charbonneau, Amanda Cox and Laura Van Staveren

Keywords: Design History

New Architecture and Historical Ruins: Auditorium Parco della Musica

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome - Sunday, June 19th, 2011

Ancient ruins uncovered underneath construction of the Parco della Musica

On June 19^th, we visited the Auditorium Parco della Musica - a cluster of three concert halls in Rome used for music events. The three buildings are laid out around a central outdoor amphitheatre. They look like three large beetles nestled together, or as the locals have said, like blobs, cockroaches, scarabs, turtles, insect carapaces, or even computer mice.

The bases of these structures are made with traditional thin red Roman brick and the dramatic, curved roofs of lead – all local materials. It was designed by Italian Architect Renzo Piano , who pictured the three buildings as 'music boxes’. As with any modern construction, the designs were heavily criticized by the Roman public. In the end it took nearly 10 years to complete the project and was formally inaugurated on December 21^st, 2002.

What is interesting as well about the construction of the “beetles” is that during construction, they uncovered the foundations of an ancient villa dating from the 6^th century BC. Renzo Piano had to redesign the plans to accommodate the archaeological remains and included a small museum to house the artefacts that were discovered. This delayed the project by a year.

Now the Parco Della Musica is not only Rome’s prime public music complex, but it is also celebrated as a famous contemporary work of architecture, and an important ancient historical site.

Three clustered concert halls that make up Parco della Musica

By Laura Van Staveren, Anne Charbonneau and Amanda Cox

Keywords: Society

MAXXI: Art and Architecture in the 21st Century

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 09:41:00 +0000

MAXXI Museum, Rome - Sunday, June 19th

The MAXXI Museum, short for "the Museum of Art in the 21^st Century", was completed in 2009 by Zaha Hadid Architects. 10 years in the works, it is built on the site of former military barracks and was planned to be not only a center for the display of artwork, but a research workshop for different contemporary languages of design, fashion and cinema.

The project started as a competition in 1999. Zaha Hadid won amongst 15 architects, among those were Jean Nouvel, Toyo Ito, Steven Holl and Rem Koolhaus. The type of art that would occupy the museum was uncertain at the start of the project, so the approach was to create a "frame or clearing for the unknown and untested". Eventually the national government set up Fondazione MAXXI, dedicated to contemporary art and architecture.

The building itself is designed with the concept of “chaotic fluidity in the modern life”. The museum’s interior is not made up of distinctly divided galleries but a constant flow of spaces connected by interweaving stairs. This continuity means that any space can be transformed into exhibits without the interruptions of walls. There is plenty of natural lighting from the glass roof above, and the stripes of lighting below the stairways creates an intense visual contrast between the black stairs and light concrete walls.

Xinran, Ruby, Foong Ling

Fratelli Barbini (Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Alan Cheng) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 22:33:00 +0000

Fratelli Barbini - Murano, Venice - Friday, June 17th, 2011

- Alan, Michelle, Lindsay

Nason Moretti (Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Alan Cheng) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 22:30:00 +0000

Nason Moretti - Murano, Venice - Friday, June 17th, 2011

- Alan, Michelle, Lindsay

Gallino Ferro (Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Alan Cheng) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 22:27:00 +0000

Gallino Ferro - Murano, Venice - Friday, June 17th, 2011

- Alan, Michelle, Lindsay

Murano - Community of glass specialists

noreply@blogger.com (Kelvin Chow) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 20:56:00 +0000

Murano, Venice - Friday, June 17th, 2011

Murano is an island of Venice where many small glass companies are located. Many of these companies specialize in certain types of glass products. For example, stores which sells ornamental glass lighting, decorative mirrors and glass kitchenware can be easily found all over the Murano.

The island’s characteristic of having such variety of glassmaking companies in one location is an attraction for many individuals and businesses who are interested in purchasing any glass products. Furthermore, the various specializations maintain a healthy level of competition on the island itself.

Murano Glass essentially became a brand in which they pride themselves on traditional glassmaking techniques as well as high quality products.

Kelvin C, Jessica Y, Laura M

Punta Della Dogana

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 20:00:00 +0000

Punta Della Dogana, Venice - Friday, June 17th, 2011

Punta Della Dogana

On June 17th, we visited the triangular shaped Punta Della Dogana which is a centre for contemporoary art in Venice. It used to be a customs house for the city, but was renovated in 2008 to what it is today by architect Tadao Ando. It is now owned by both the City of Venice and Palazzo Grassi. The Francois Pinault collection of works which we saw there that day was an inspiring eclectic mix of contemporary art housed by a beautifully renovated historical building.

Here is a great timeline of the architecture of Punta Della Dogana that I found on their website:

15th Century: The customs houses, which were located at Castello close to the Arsenal, are divided into Customs of Land and Customs of Sea. The latter is then relocated to Punta della Dogana, at the tip of the island of Dorsoduro, named “Punta del Sale” because of the salt warehouses which were built there.

1631: Beginning of the building works of the Basilica Santa Maria della Salute, to thank the Virgin for having put an end to the epidemic of plague, prevailing the previous year. Works are entrusted to Baldassare Longhena.

1677: The rebuilding works of Punta della Dogana, undertaken by Giuseppe Benoni, begin in 1677. He has the aim of building a tower at the end of the island, surmounted by a statue, carried out by Bernardo Falcone, representing two atlases supporting a gilded globe upon which stands the allegory of Fortuna, that indicates the direction of the wind.

18th – 19th century: Punta della Dogana undergoes various transformations and restoration works, in particular those made by the Austrians who invested the building during the occupation and those of the architect Alvise Pigazzi who renovated the building between 1835 and 1838.

19 July 2006: The City of Venice launches a contest for the creation of a center for contemporary art at Punta della Dogana. Palazzo Grassi, under the direction of Jean-Jacques Aillagon, is a candidate in competition with the Fondazione Solomon R. Guggenheim.

27 April 2007: Palazzo Grassi wins the contest for the creation of a center for contemporary art at Punta della Dogana, entirely renovated by the architect Tadao Ando, which will shelter a selection of works from the François Pinault Foundation.

June 2007: Signing of the partnership between the City of Venice and Palazzo Grassi for 33 years. Public presentation of the architectural project by Tadao Ando about the new center for contemporary art at Punta della Dogana.

From 21 January 2008 to 16 March 2009: Restoration work (14 months).

6 June 2009: Opening to the public of the exhibition “Mapping the Studio: Artists from the François Pinault Collection” at Punta della Dogana and Palazzo Grassi.

Arial Shot of Punta Della Dogana

Arial shot of Venice

View of Museum from a Water Bus Pier

By Laura Van Staveren, Anne Charbonneau and Amanda Cox

Keywords: Design History

The Changing Future of Murano Island

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:22:00 +0000

Nason Moretti, Murano Venezia - Friday June 17th

Murano Island has built it’s heritage on glass, waking before the sun and sleeping when the kilns are retired for the evening. It is a quiet place that draws tourists from Venice for day trips to this quint, crafty island. I was lucky enough to personally experience this wonderful art of glass blowing and fell in love with the charm of the sleepy streets of Murano, but what role does a one industry region play in an increasingly globalized world?

The factories we visited, from the much more modern Nason Moretti to the traditional chandelier fabricators of Galliano Ferro, both expressed the need to be flexible and open to new ideas. A ‘glass island’ since the 13th century, cheap imports, a weak economy, unchanging styles and an aging industry are just a few factors contributing to a decline in the craft.

Looking to preserve the islands economy, Murano is looking to diversify with a more proactive approach to tourism, rather then rely on Venice day-trippers. Currently Murano can accommodate 72 overnight guests, by summer of 2012 a total of 130 rooms will be added in the form of a luxury hotel built out of a former glass factory that closed its doors to production in 1992. By 2013 another 150 rooms, spa, fitness center, ballroom and convention center is projected to open. Will Murano benefit from this shift? Increasing overnighters will increase the need (and desire) for shops to stay open later, restaurants to serve dinner, bars to provide nightlife and transportation to become more frequent. Everything set to bring in more revenue, but will it still retain the charm that I fell in love with? Will tourists increase the demand for cheap glass trinkets or increase interest in the unique Murano glass pieces that are the result of glass masters generations in the making?

Shannon, Victoria, Calvin

NasonMoretti

noreply@blogger.com (Michyelle) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 14:24:00 +0000

NasonMoretti, Murano Venice - Friday June 17th, 2011

On June 17th, we were fortunate enough to visit the NasonMoretti factory in Murano. They have been producing beautiful glassworks since 1925 and are constantly researching new techniques to produce innovative, unique products.

Original colour and chromatic combinations, engravings, and polychrome decorations have all been incorporated into their product lines. NasonMoretti's creativity was recognized in 1955, when they were awarded the prestigious Compasso d'Oro award. This award is given to acknowledge and promote quality in the field of industrial designs made in Italy. It was awarded in recognition of a design by Umberto Nason (the founder), which was a series of twin-colour drinking glasses and small bowls. They were unique in that they broke from tradition and reversed the surface treatment of the bowls. Instead of using a layer of white glass for the inside of the bowl, they coated the outside with white and the inside in a bright colour. We first noticed these bowls at the Compasso D'Oro exhibit in Rome, and were delighted to see them again in the showroom at NasonMoretti. Though this technique is still being employed by the company today, it has evolved over the years to incorporate more dynamic shapes and sizes.

History of Compasso D'oro in the 1950s

"For the first time at the end of the Second World War, Italy was a free and optimistic country. It was, however, very backward by comparison with countries having more advanced economies. Since major industries were suffering from the consequences of the war and the limitations imposed by peace treaties, the development occurred through Italy's small scale industries. This framework of smaller industries proved to be extremely flexible and dynamic. It constantly forsaw consumer behaviour and its further evolution, as well as technical innovation, suitably in tune with the rapidly changing society. Italian firms do not produce mere objects but foster collective images of a future overflowing with beauty, freedom and optimism, thus showing that design can go beyond immediate functionality. It was exactly this attitude that enabled Italian designers to sense the new post industrial trends in affluent contemporary society before anyone else. Wherever the emphasis has shifted from the production goods to image creation, Italian design has shown itself capable of offering solutions involving high quality and cultural excellence, following the move from practical needs to real or presumed desires. "

-Unicita d'Italia

Keywords: Tradition, Manufacturing, Innovation, Colour, History

Lindsay, Michelle, Alan

The User and their Environment

noreply@blogger.com (Foong Ling) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:48:00 +0000

ISIA, Florence - Friday, June 3rd, 2011

Nason Moretti Factory, Venice - Friday, June 17th, 2011

Through the consideration of our senses, David Palterer and Nason Moretti emphasizes the relationship between users and their environment.

David Palterer spoke about redesigning the shape of the glass so to evoke an experience similar to a kiss. He accomplishes this with Vasenobjek. By rounding the bottom of the glass and pinching the centre, it causes the wine to bubble slightly and compels the user to pucker their lips as the drink out of the glass.

Glass is an exquisite material that lends itself to many experimentation. Nason Moretti uses colour to change perception. Playing on the importance of visual colour hues in the experience of consuming wine the product line, Burlesque, is deliberately tinted.

Foong Ling, Ruby, Xinran