STUDIO
MVRDV
Venice 25
Location
Venice, Italy
Year
2025
Program
Public space and playfulness
Team Leaders
Lorenzo Mattozzi (Associate Architect, MVRDV)
Cosimo Scotucci (Senior Project Leader, MVRDV)
Team
Matilde Rasella (Politecnico di Milano, Italy)
Shivam Takulia (Sushant School of Art and Architecture, India)
Marion Catalano (Ohio State University, USA)
Alina Chomaeva (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy)
Farrel Adyuta (Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, Indonesia)
Mariia Tkachuk (Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands)
Dimitra Kouvroukoglou (Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands)
Kazunari Kaneko (Savannah College of Art and Design, USA)
Luca Quintigliano (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy)
Theodoros Economides (Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands)
Alhussein Ben Aly Sakr (Cairo University, Egypt)
Sanjana Habde (Delft University of Technology, Netherlands)
Parth Solanki (Manchester School of Architecture, UK)
Abigail Luper (Ohio State University, USA)
Marta Rimedio (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy)
Pedro Giaculli (Kolding School of Design, Denmark)
Fay Alharbi (Prince Sultan University, Saudi Arabia)
Xinghang (Alfred) Fu (University of Sydney, Australia)
Project
Isola Minore
We seek to explore the potential of public spaces in Venice, reimagining them as vibrant hubs for gathering, play, and green spaces. The primary aim is to modernize and enhance services specifically designed for children on Lazzaretto Vecchio Island and along the Lido waterfront. Lazzaretto Vecchio, situated in the central lagoon of Venice, spans approximately 2.5 hectares, with 8,500 square meters occupied by buildings. This island holds significant historical and monumental heritage, and since 2000, it has been earmarked as the future site of the National Archaeological Museum of the Venetian Lagoon.
We will develop a foundational understanding of Venice, focusing on the relationship between the city, its citizens, and public spaces while providing diverse approaches for experiencing and analyzing Venice’s unique urban landscape.
Lazzaretto Vecchio is notable for being the first lazzaretto (quarantine hospital) in the world, established in 1423 for those afflicted by the plague. The island’s name, initially Nazaretum in dedication to Santa Maria di Nazareth, evolved into Lazzaretto. Over time, the island’s facilities expanded, and during archaeological excavations, mass graves from the plagues of the 16th and 17th centuries were discovered. In the mid-19th century, the island became a military warehouse, leading to the demolition of several ancient structures. Following its use as a municipal dog shelter until 1995, extensive restoration efforts were launched in the 2000s to transform the island into the National Archaeological Museum of the Venetian Lagoon. As of 2020, new funding was allocated for further restoration and the continuation of the museum project.
MVRDV was founded in 1993 by Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries. Based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the company has a global scope, providing solutions to contemporary architectural and urban issues in all regions of the world. It is a highly collaborative environment where architects, clients, stakeholders, and experts from a wide range of fields, come together during the creative process. The results are exemplary, outspoken projects that enable cities and landscapes to develop towards a better future.
The products of MVRDV’s unique approach to design vary, ranging from buildings of all types and sizes, to urban plans and visions, numerous publications, installations and exhibitions. Completed projects include the Netherlands Pavilion for the World EXPO 2000 in Hannover; the Market Hall, a combination of housing and retail in Rotterdam; the Pushed Slab, a sustainable office building in Paris’ first eco-district; Flight Forum, an innovative business park in Eindhoven; the Silodam Housing complex in Amsterdam; the Matsudai Cultural Centre in Japan; the Unterföhring office campus near Munich; the Lloyd Hotel in Amsterdam; the Ypenburg housing and urban plan in The Hague; the Didden Village rooftop housing extension in Rotterdam; the music centre De Effenaar in Eindhoven; the Gyre boutique shopping center in Tokyo; a public library in Spijkenisse; an international bank headquarters in Oslo, Norway; and the iconic Mirador and Celosia housing in Madrid.
The work of MVRDV is exhibited and published worldwide and has received numerous international awards. Two hundred and fifty architects, designers and urbanists develop projects in a multi-disciplinary, collaborative design process that involves rigorous technical and creative investigation.
