Riccardo Rizzetto
Venice, Italy
Ex Junghans
The acclaimed Ex Junghans neighborhood is more than a photogenic excuse to hop the ferry over to Guidecca Island. It’s also a perfect example of reimagining a run-down industrial area by transforming it into a thoughtfully designed residential enclave. Ex Junghans sprang from the imagination of architect Cino Zucchi, whose master plan is complemented by projects from other local design greats like Gino Valle and Aldo Rossi. Don’t miss Casa Dei Tre Oci, where you’re sure to catch a stunning photography exhibit no matter when you visit.
Ristorante Quadri
This Michelin-star restaurant opens into St. Mark’s Square (aka Piazza San Marco) and dates as far back as 1638, opulently renovated in 2018 by the masterful Philippe Starck, who did his part to incorporate work from some of the best local artisans around. The food is a contemporary interpretation of classic Italian and Venetian cuisine – with a nod to the city’s Serenissima days – and the attention to detail evident throughout the space results in an ambiance of poetic beauty with a hint of mystery. (It’s also the perfect spot for an al fresco Spritz; just be sure to order yours with Select in order to drink as the Venetians drink.)
Palazzo Grimani
Originally the residence of Doge Antonio Grimani – who died in the 14th century – the design elements on display at Palazzo Grimani today are clear descendants of the treatise of 15th-century architect Sebastiano Serlio. Like much of the buildings that sprang from this era, you can expect to find a blend of Venetian and Tuscan-Roman traditions here; particularly striking is its dramatic and evocative, pyramidal skylight. It makes the Palazzo Grimani unique in its Venetian surrounds, comparable in terms of cultural importance to the works of Jacopo Sansovino on display around St. Mark’s Square.
Negozio Olivetti
Created by acclaimed Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa in 1958 as a means of showcasing the calculators, typewriters, and other various product designs of the forward-thinking entrepreneur and engineer Adriano Olivetti, this beautiful exhibition is remarkable for its display of vastness in what’s actually a very small room. There’s no trace of the baroque aesthetic that’s occasionally called to mind when the uninitiated think of Venice; instead, design lovers come here to be inspired by the perfectly balanced, transparent space where tradition and modern architecture go together hand in hand.
Venice, to me, is the best place to train my sensibilities: It is incredible how everything in the city is constantly morphing in reaction to the waxing and waning of daylight and the magical effect of water flowing throughout. These two elements ignite a totally new sensorial experience of Venice’s facades, streets, and canals hour after hour, day after day, and the result is a prismatically dynamic shrine to both traditional and modern design.
Riccardo Rizzetto is an interior architect and art director born in Bassano del Grappa, near Venice. He studied architecture at the Iuav University of Venice before moving to London, where he studied interior design at the Royal College of Art while also taking classes at Central Saint Martins. After graduating, Riccardo decided to move back to Italy and live in Colceresa, a little town between Venice and London. He runs his own practice, and being able to move around is his main source of inspiration and energy. Preferring not to choose just one town to live in, Riccardo takes the best out each place he experiences and keeps on moving, with the aim of both growing as a person and staying loyal to himself.