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Casa ZT
Casa ZT
Venice, Italy
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Other Projects by depaolidefranceschibaldan architects
Casa ZT
Venice, Italy
Pied-à-terre of Light
The renewal of a small top-floor apartment in a noble Venetian palazzo breathes new life into a historic setting. Located just steps away from the campo and the church of Santa Maria Formosa, and near Carlo Scarpa’s renowned intervention at the Fondazione Querini Stampalia, Palazzo Zorzi Bon is a striking example of 14th-century Gothic architecture. This imposing exposed-brick building, adorned with Istrian stone frames and a pointed-arch pentafora on the piano nobile, is crowned by a fourth-floor rooftop addition dating back to the 1930s. Standing out above the surrounding rooftops, this elevation offers a priceless panoramic view of Venice from all four sides.
The project focuses on this top-floor addition. Following a general structural renovation by architect Marianicola Parenti, the owners commissioned the studio to design the interior fit-out, transforming it into a comfortable and welcoming pied-à-terre for themselves and their guests.
The extremely lightweight structure of the rooftop extension imposed many constraints on any radical restructuring of internal volumes, so the designers chose to respect the original layout without overturning it. They relied instead on minimal, controlled gestures—akin to architectural "acupuncture"—to refurbish the spaces.
The concept centers on emphasizing the extraordinary natural light of the rooms, maximizing the views of Venice framed by windows on all four sides like small vedutista paintings. This essential, minimalist approach aims to unlock the potential of the approximately 100-square-meter apartment without overcrowding it. The rooms are enriched with iconic pieces of modern and contemporary design, artworks from the clients' private collection, and a vibrant color palette inspired by the city’s hues and Carlo Scarpa’s Chinese vase series. The tones of the furniture, doors, and bookcases—nearly all custom-designed—are satin-finished and muted due to the choice of matte linoleum as the primary material. This surface absorbs reflections, ensuring the interior elements do not compete with the natural light.
The home opens with a vestibule leading into the main space, which contains the kitchen and dining area. The layout follows a primary axis mirrored by the lines of the original exposed larch beams, restored to their former glory. The small kitchen, featuring a work by Luisa Pastor, is equipped with an island made of a Carrara marble top and a blue USM module. Adjacent is the "magical" dining area set between two columns. Here, a light-blue platform raises the floor level, making it easier to reach the sequence of high windows overlooking the rooftops. The bespoke dining table, with a glossy black wooden base and a red top, is a tribute to the Venetian gondola, appearing to float atop the "blue water" of the platform.
Lighting is provided by sconces that alternate between the "beak yellow" of Charlotte Perriand’s Voilant and the light gray of Le Corbusier’s Nemo Marseille. The living room in the next chamber is arranged around a modular sofa in gray and black tones. Two bookcases in linoleum and plywood line the opposite wall. A vertical sculpture by Arcangelo Sassolino in a copper-green hue perceptually aligns with the silhouette of the St. Mark’s Campanile visible through the window. A metal staircase leads to a multitasking mezzanine space that can serve as a playroom or an additional bedroom.
Beyond the living area, two essential bedrooms are screened by blue-gray sliding doors. At the end of the corridor, the apartment concludes with a small bathroom featuring a unique detail: the window above the sink frames a mirror rather than glass. One can choose to keep it closed to see their own reflection or open it to admire the landscape outside. Finally, the natural iroko wood floors were installed using an original "twin" laying pattern.
The renewal of a small top-floor apartment in a noble Venetian palazzo breathes new life into a historic setting. Located just steps away from the campo and the church of Santa Maria Formosa, and near Carlo Scarpa’s renowned intervention at the Fondazione Querini Stampalia, Palazzo Zorzi Bon is a striking example of 14th-century Gothic architecture. This imposing exposed-brick building, adorned with Istrian stone frames and a pointed-arch pentafora on the piano nobile, is crowned by a fourth-floor rooftop addition dating back to the 1930s. Standing out above the surrounding rooftops, this elevation offers a priceless panoramic view of Venice from all four sides.
The project focuses on this top-floor addition. Following a general structural renovation by architect Marianicola Parenti, the owners commissioned the studio to design the interior fit-out, transforming it into a comfortable and welcoming pied-à-terre for themselves and their guests.
The extremely lightweight structure of the rooftop extension imposed many constraints on any radical restructuring of internal volumes, so the designers chose to respect the original layout without overturning it. They relied instead on minimal, controlled gestures—akin to architectural "acupuncture"—to refurbish the spaces.
The concept centers on emphasizing the extraordinary natural light of the rooms, maximizing the views of Venice framed by windows on all four sides like small vedutista paintings. This essential, minimalist approach aims to unlock the potential of the approximately 100-square-meter apartment without overcrowding it. The rooms are enriched with iconic pieces of modern and contemporary design, artworks from the clients' private collection, and a vibrant color palette inspired by the city’s hues and Carlo Scarpa’s Chinese vase series. The tones of the furniture, doors, and bookcases—nearly all custom-designed—are satin-finished and muted due to the choice of matte linoleum as the primary material. This surface absorbs reflections, ensuring the interior elements do not compete with the natural light.
The home opens with a vestibule leading into the main space, which contains the kitchen and dining area. The layout follows a primary axis mirrored by the lines of the original exposed larch beams, restored to their former glory. The small kitchen, featuring a work by Luisa Pastor, is equipped with an island made of a Carrara marble top and a blue USM module. Adjacent is the "magical" dining area set between two columns. Here, a light-blue platform raises the floor level, making it easier to reach the sequence of high windows overlooking the rooftops. The bespoke dining table, with a glossy black wooden base and a red top, is a tribute to the Venetian gondola, appearing to float atop the "blue water" of the platform.
Lighting is provided by sconces that alternate between the "beak yellow" of Charlotte Perriand’s Voilant and the light gray of Le Corbusier’s Nemo Marseille. The living room in the next chamber is arranged around a modular sofa in gray and black tones. Two bookcases in linoleum and plywood line the opposite wall. A vertical sculpture by Arcangelo Sassolino in a copper-green hue perceptually aligns with the silhouette of the St. Mark’s Campanile visible through the window. A metal staircase leads to a multitasking mezzanine space that can serve as a playroom or an additional bedroom.
Beyond the living area, two essential bedrooms are screened by blue-gray sliding doors. At the end of the corridor, the apartment concludes with a small bathroom featuring a unique detail: the window above the sink frames a mirror rather than glass. One can choose to keep it closed to see their own reflection or open it to admire the landscape outside. Finally, the natural iroko wood floors were installed using an original "twin" laying pattern.
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