Vudafieri-Saverino Partners Interior Design for Terrazza Aperol in Venice

The bacaro was a traditional Venetian bar frequented by the common people, who could enjoy an "ombra" (a glass of wine) or any of a number of local beverages referred to as a "spritz" with a few snacks. The narrow backstreets of Venice gave rise to the tradition of sipping a long drink as an aperitif, such as the iconic Aperol Spritz, a beverage that turned 100 in 2019 and has become a well-known social ritual in many parts of the world. The tradition inspired architects Tiziano Vudafieri and Claudio Saverino, founders of Vudafieri-Saverino Partners, in the interior design of the Campari Group’s first flagship store, Terrazza Aperol, opened recently in Venice, the city where it all began.
The selected site is a newly converted historic Venetian palazzo in Campo Santo Stefano, not far from the Accademia bridge. In the bar, which measures more than 200 square metres, including a 90 square-metre outdoor area, the architects recover and reinterpret a number of elements of the Venetian tradition, establishing a fluid continuum between the two spaces, indoor and outdoor, and between their Venetian roots and a refined cosmopolitan atmosphere.
What holds it all together is a particular "fil rouge", or rather, a "fil orange", as the architects call it: orange is the brand’s iconic colour, chosen to characterise a number of elements and give the bar its distinctive character.
The details reveal this skilful blend of the traditional and the contemporary. The oak floor panelling, for example, is made out of reclaimed Venetian "bricole" the poles signalling navigable canals in the lagoon, but with orange grouting in the brand’s distinctive colour. The walls are decorated with grey Venetian stucco, but enriched with bits of orange Murano glass. The specially shaped mirrors typical of Venetian cafés, reinterpreted with a contemporary twist, become Digital Mirrors, digital monitors on which to share photos with the brand’s other bars.

The bar’s two spirits are perfectly expressed in the two separate areas it is made of, two communicating spaces with separate entrances, which are also differentiated outdoors. The "bacaro", which, as the name implies, explicitly draws on local tradition, serves “authentic Venetian aperitifs” in a cosy, dynamic, casual place where the architects recreate the atmosphere of a traditional Venetian osteria, reclaiming the historic wooden Sansovina ceiling and custom designing a number of elements, including a long micro-bench with small folding tables. The "bar", with chairs of different types, both inside and outside, is designed to offer a more relaxed, contemporary experience, which is also reflected in the menu and drinks list. Elements of tradition are reinterpreted to tie it in with the "bacaro" next door, such as the ceiling, where led strip lighting reflects the rhythm of the beams in the historic Sansovina ceiling and the iconic custom-made light fixtures are made of Murano glass. The orange furnishings and light fixtures recall the brand, including bubble mirrors evoking the fizz of the cocktails, and with it, the vitality and conviviality of the ritual of the “aperitif”.

(Agnese Bifulco)

Images courtesy of Vudafieri-Saverino Partners, photo by Santi Caleca, Lorenzo Croce, Nihites

Project Name: Terrazza Aperol
Architects: Vudafieri-Saverino Partners
Location: Venezia, Italia
Photos: Santi Caleca (01,02, 06-20), Nihites (03), Lorenzo Croce (04,05).

---

GALLERY