The Teatrino Hall is the third facility in Venice to be renovated by Tadao Ando, funded by French billionaire François Pinault, owner of the Gucci Group. A passionate admirer and collector of contemporary art, Pino has already adapted two Venetian monuments to exhibit his collection - the Palazzo Grassi and the Punta della Dogana maritime customs complex - which he has now decided to supplement with a multifunctional hall for 220 spectators. Teatrino was built on the site where the garden of the Palazzo Grassi was arranged in 1857, and the theater was erected in 1961, however, which closed almost thirty years ago. Ando retained the main facade of this building, while completely redoing the volume itself and its roof.
The hall itself is separated from its foyers, wardrobes and technical rooms by curved snow-white walls that complicate the geometry of the space and form an expressive entrance area. Daylight in the foyer enters through a triangular skylight, and lamps are embedded in the edges of the false ceiling, emphasizing the complex plan of this room and the winding corridors that diverge from it.
The total area of Teatrino is 1000 sq.m. The opening of the hall will allow the Fondation François Pinault to make its "cultural representation" in Venice even more significant: in addition to exhibitions, this organization will be able to hold film and video screenings, concerts and lectures here, initiate discussions and research in various fields of contemporary art.
