Fonderia Artistica Guggenheim
Project
Set within Venice’s Ca Venier Dei Leone this new museum’s programme is intertwined with the owners and client the Guggenheim family, whose wealth was made in metal mining and smelting. Just as the Guggenheims left a mark on Venice through their patronage of the arts, this museum seeks to respond to their legacy through the exhibition and study of the art of metalworking.
The museum aims to simultaneously be a space for presentation and production. A foundry where visitors can observe and participate in the craft of forming objects in metal. The building is purposefully rugged, made of strong thick masonry, resisting fire and heat and able to take the patina of sparks, smoke and flame. Light into the space is attenuated to allow the incandescence of the molten metal to take precedence.
At the core the building lies the furnace, a fiery crucible where raw materials are transformed into molten possibilities. Amidst the flames and the rhythmic pounding of hammer and anvil, artisans transform metal, shaping it with skills gained over centuries, and passing these skills along to future generations.
The spanning structures are made from metals formed into wrought iron trusses , die cast nodes, forged plates, rolled beam sections. The building is thermally massive to absorb and re-emit the heat of the processes.
The objective is not merely to present the finished pieces, but to invite the viewer into the process itself. Through workshops and interactive exhibits, the project aims to promote and keep alive the art of metalworking, giving a deeper appreciation for this craft.
