Natural History Museum
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Natural History Museum

Natural History Museum
By Editorial Staff -
Secco Sistemi has participated in the project
Venice’s natural history museum nestles along the Grand Canal in the Fondego dei Turchi palazzo. The building has its origins in the 13th century, but from 1621 to 1838 it was a residence and trading centre for Turkish merchants (hence the name). In 1859, it became a property of the City of Venice. In 1880, the Museo Correr was set up inside and then in 1923, the natural history museum. Recent work has completely redone and reconceived the interior layout to improve space use and optimise the rich collections on display. On the ground floor, the internal cloister - a sizeable courtyard with an ancient well-head, a basin with fountains and dwarf palms - was partially closed. On two sides of the cloister, the brickwork portico was closed, creating space for a new gallery on whales and dolphins, and an area for the ticket and info offices as well as a bookshop. These areas can be entered through a newly created garden. The east portico will also eventually be closed to create a space for temporary exhibits and teaching activities. Given the architectural importance of the building, the decision was made to avoid altering the aesthetics and structures; instead, the area was enclosed using a glazed structure with thin, durable and low impact profiles. Specifically, this required a continuous glazed frame that is structurally independent of the colonnade and anchored to the walls. It was made using Secco Sistemi’s EBE 65 and Termica systems, both of which have so-called “thermal breaks” and are made of corten steel. The vertical profiles are hidden behind the portico columns, further lightening the visual impact of the structure and optimising the natural light. The choice of corten steel meant the colours perfectly matched brick hues.

Secco Sistemi
Via Terraglio, 195
I - 31010 Preganziol (TV)
Tel. +39.0422 497700
Fax +39 0422 497705
E-mail: [email protected]
www.seccosistemi.it

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