The milanese-architecture firm Migliore+Servetto is internationally recognised for its excellence in exhibition design and therefore the design of communication spaces and was therefore chosen by Generali Group to conceive the new headquarters of “The Human Safety Net”. The 3000 sqm project includes Interior, Exhibition, Graphic & Multimedia Design of the third floor and thus the reception spaces on the bottom floor of the Procuratie Vecchie in Piazza San Marco, with artistic direction by Davide Rampello.
Project Name: The Home of the Human Safety Net
Studio Name: Migliore+Servetto
The Migliore+Servetto’s intervention focuses on four areas: the primary one is an exhibition path which offers visitors an immersive experience of the Generali Group Foundation and its activities; the second is a café; the third is a co-working area with functional zones reserved for the Foundation’s activities; finally the event rooms that flank the auditorium. The intervention comprehensively approaches all design aspects from space to graphics and therefore the design of the digital content and all interactions, through the study of materials and thus the sunshine design, with an innovative and experimental approach – the Studio’s true stylistic calling card – generating sustainable and inclusive spaces, created “for sharing” and designed in reference to the users’ behaviours, expectations and wishes .
The exhibition has been conceptualised by Migliore+Servetto as a progression of experiences and developing into a prologue, three acts and an epilogue that lead visitors to urge their own potential, ranging from values such as creativity, perseverance, gratitude, curiosity, hope, social intelligence and teamwork, identified by the curators Orna Cohen and Andreas Heinecke of DSE – Dialogue for Social Enterprise. These abstract concepts are translated by Migliore+Servetto into 16 interactive machines à montrer. Both analogue and digital, they’re capable of engaging the foremost diverse audiences and generating reflection and self-analysis.
The referencing of Venetian-ness and thus the genius loci of the intervention is additionally strong, both in terms of content and materials, thanks to the collaboration with local craftsmen. The link to the town is formed on several levels, ranging from the visual continuity with Piazza San Marco. Indeed, particular importance has been given to the 100 sixteenth-century oculi that line the long side of the full floor overlooking the hub of city life which has welcomed and embraced cultures from all over the world. during variety of these openings, the view has been enhanced through a technological enlargement system that, like Canaletto’s optical machines, allows visitors to immerse themselves within the lifetime of the piazza, through a replacement way of interacting with it. additionally , the installation ‘Window on Venice’ allows you to form a leap through time, exploring in 3D how various places of the town were within the sixteenth century.
“The Human Safety Net headquarters is characterised by the lightness with which it relates both to the town of Venice and to the historic complex of the Procuratie that hosts it. It focuses on inclusion and accessibility, which are central themes within the event of the project. The harmony between the parts could even be a basic element on which we have worked to build what we call a ‘nest space’, which represents the new sense of hospitality that THSN wants to plug ,” state Ico Migliore and Mara Servetto. The partitions of the spaces and thus the furnishings, all purpose designed by Migliore+Servetto, are placed in dialogue with the prevailing structures, enhancing the division of the architectural volumes of the absolute best floor of the Procuratie. In turn, they also evoke the deep Venetian roots of the place through the materials used: glass, copper , wood, mirrors. The typically Venetian bricole (the oak wooden poles utilized within the lagoon to mark the navigable paths) constitute the backbone of the installation for the exhibition path dedicated to team work, which refers to the lagoon’s body of water. The café’s benches, made up of natural wood, recall those of the historic Venetian cafés. The patterns of the carpets, placed in various spaces, rework traditional motifs a bit like the ornate arches of the Doge’s Palace or the murrine milllefiori. The glass chandeliers located within the café and within the reception spaces are made by Benvenuto Mastri Vetrai and designed to represent identity in dialogue with natural and artificial light.
Venice’s bond with the theatre and masks also inspired the installation that welcomes visitors, which arose from a thought by Davide Rampello: the wooden puppets of Arlecchino, Pantalone and Colombina, handcrafted by the Carlo Colla Atelier and animated by an aesthetic technology, address visitors first in Venetian, then interact directly in their own language, creating a initial moment of hospitality.
“There are three recurring symbols that connect the complete project: the table, the nest and thus the mirror. Being emblematic of meeting and dialogue, the table is present within the interactive installations and within the social spaces, made up of wood, metal or copper tubing and glass. The nest could even be a symbol of hospitality and bonds, and is recalled within the structures of the bookshelves, a kind of fil rouge that connects the social spaces and those dedicated to work,” say architects Ico Migliore and Mara Servetto.”Finally, the mirror boasts a centuries-old tradition in Venice and recurs within the furnishings of the café and in various installations. it’s an allegory of challenging oneself, of reflection, of consciousness.”
In addition to the interior design, Migliore+Servetto has conceived the environmental graphics and wayfinding that accompanies and guides visitors. Moreover, so on build a deep connection between the physical and digital experiences, it’s also conceived interactive installations and developed multimedia content for the entire exhibition path. The studio has also contributed to the choice of the contents of the Art Studio, the space dedicated to temporary exhibitions within the exhibition itinerary. For the opening, it’ll host CHUTZPAH. A tent that’s not a tent, animals that aren’t animals curated by Gabi Scardi, an exhibition project created by the collective Atelier dell’Errore, a singular and valuable presence on the Italian scene that uses art to supply voice to a community of young people characterised by neurodiversity.
