Philippe Starck reimagines historic restaurant Quadri as 'a Venetian wonderland of mystery, poetry and magic'
– Philippe Starck
An 18th-century restaurant and cafe in Venice’s historic St Mark’s Square has reopened following a major restoration overseen by Philippe Starck.
The Michelin-starred Quadri, owned by restaurateurs the Alajmo family since 2010, has been reinterpreted by the French designer as “a Venetian wonderland of mystery, poetry and magic.”
He has worked with local artisans – including glassblowers, carpenters, fabric-makers and art restorers – to recover the building’s original architectural details, while adding “a romantic and slightly surrealistic atmosphere.”
“We simply looked for its wonders, and we discovered a wonderland,” said Starck. “Out of respect, love and intelligence, we didn’t want to change such a powerful concentration of beauty and oddity.
“With our design, everything here is a mental game, with its own magical little music. Hidden fertile surprises come to life everywhere; on the walls with the fabric, in the lights with the surrealistic chandeliers and in the chimeric taxidermy collection that inhabits the place. This dream partly comes from my brain, my heart and my folly. Yet we needed hands to make it a reality.”
The building’s ground floor café and bistro, Grancaffè Quadri and Quadrino, have had their walls restored by art restorers Anna de Spirt and Adriana Spagnol, who were able to peel back layers of paint to reveal the original stuccowork from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Elsewhere, previously deep red wall coverings are now a rich golden brown, courtesy of Venetian fabric maker Tessitura Bevilacqua, with a material made in the 1500s inspiring the pattern that now repeats across the room, while the wooden frames that hold the large windows looking out onto St. Mark’s Square have been restored.
The Barbini brothers, whose descendants produced all the mirrors that hang in the Palace of Versailles, have crafted a large entrance mirror and the smaller ones in the bathrooms, all inspired by century-old designs.
Too add a dose of quirkiness, the horse-drawn carriages and gondolas that appear as motifs in the building have given way to satellites and astronauts, while a large Rezzonico-style Murano glass chandelier from the 1930s has been joined by a new chandelier of the same dimensions and style, but with surrealistic dripping glass details, created by French glassblower Aristide Najean. Striking painted carpets lining the floor have been designed by Starck’s daughter, Ara Starck.
“We decided to restore Quadri because we felt that it was time to bring back the original splendour of the space in a contemporary context,” said Ajamo CEO Raffaele Alajmo. “We felt this was necessary if our intent is for Quadri to represent Italian cuisine on a global level.”
The Ajamo family had previously collaborated with Starck on two other eateries in the Quadri family – Caffè Stern, “a phantasmagoric bacaro in the heart of Paris” and AMO, “a mysterious and elegant café” in Venice.
Philippe Starck Ara Starck Quadri Venice St Mark's Square the Ajamo familyGoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Aman sister brand Janu launching in Tokyo in 2024 with design by Denniston's Jean-Michel Gathy
The Peninsula London unveils Peter Marino-designed spa inspired by London’s famous parks
First glimpses revealed of Mandarin Oriental, Mayfair's subterranean spa retreat
"Architecture is alive" says Ma Yansong, as Shenzhen art museum opens exhibition showcasing work of MAD Architects
Ben Channon has written Happy by Design, a new book about how architecture affects our mental health. He explains how we can all be happier at home