Sculpture Garden

Venice, XXVI Biennale, Castello Gardens, Italian Pavilion 1951-1952

In 1952, through the suppression of three rooms in the north wing of the Italian Pavilion, connected to the main body, space was created for a small courtyard. The purpose of the intervention was to improve the ventilation of the Italian Pavilion, while creating a place for the exhibition of sculptures and relaxation for the visitor. The roofs and dividing walls between the rooms were demolished, while the perimeter walls were stripped of plaster, leaving the bricks exposed.
Inside the rectangular open-air space thus created, Scarpa inserted a trilobate shelter in reinforced concrete, supported by three steel spheres anchored to three concrete pillars. The pillars have an almond-shaped section and are finished with “rough” plaster and a slightly pink color. The upper part of these pillars has a hollow that functions as a flower box.

The floor is made of prefabricated concrete slabs, arranged in both a square shape and halved into a rectangular shape.
The low walls that form the perimeter flowerbeds and the water basin are made of exposed brick.
The function of the courtyard is to connect the exit of the main body of the Italian pavilion with the entrance of the exhibition hall to the north, currently used for offices.

Architectural design: Carlo Scarpa
Collaboration in the management of works and structures: engineers Rossi and Wenter Marini
Sources: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts of the Venice Biennale, Venice; Carlo Scarpa Archive, Rome