Beltà Lusingatrice - Good Style Mag

October 8, 2018

Tempting Beauty

ICONIC JEWELS |C.M.

“Venice is like a dream; it’s a city that isn’t a city, where it’s nice to get lost and discover little corners with a unique charm. Getting to the lagoon is like taking a trip to one of the most special places in Italy. We found Palazzo Torres – a former bank – located just a few steps from St. Mark’s Square, and it totally became a part of our world, without changing anything, just keeping what history built. For us, the palazzo’s walls, mosaics, and ceilings were the basis for building beauty and innovation. With our new boutique, we want to convey harmony within history, from which everything is born, and the contemporary, told through the works of Venetian artisans.

(Domenico Dolce e Stefano Gabbana)

On the famous luxury shopping street Calle Larga XXII Marzo, just a few steps from Saint Mark’s Square and La Fenice Opera House, a Dolce & Gabbana boutique has opened in the majestic 19th century Palazzo Torres. It was designed for a city synonymous with beauty, history, and uniqueness.

Designed by American architect Eric Carlson of Carbondale Studio, it finds context in respecting the building’s history, contrasting the history of the Republic of Venice with the boutique’s modernity in a fascinating way.

The interior is covered with original boiseries, painted and decorated with trompe-l’oeil technique, bringing back its former glory. Floors are paved in multi-colored inlays of ancient marble. Walls are adorned with wooden bas-reliefs depicting scenes from commercial and artisanal life in the late 19th century Venice.

A golden Murano glass chandelier hangs in the middle of the noble area, while windows bear the crest of the Torres family who built the palazzo. A hallway runs twenty meters between walls featuring 24-carat gold mosaics and Marmorino Venetian plaster, leading to the part of the boutique designed entirely by Carbondale: five rooms with mosaic floor made of different shades of marble. The area for women is made with Red Levanto, while the men’s area has mint-green marble mosaic floors and walls.

There is also a room dedicated to the Fine Jewelry collection; here the floor mosaic is made of Black Marquinia Marble, and walls are decorated with dark blue glass mosaic walls, gold leaf stars, and a large baroque-style mirror.

A Green Antigua staircase leads to the noble area on the first floor, divided into three rooms for the most exclusive collections. Walls and ceilings are covered in boiseries, and floors are made of precious Venetian “battuto di terrazzo.” Venetian weaver Bevilacqua made the fine colored silk fabrics with contrasting decorations, and ceilings are adorned with original frescoes and three looming Murano glass chandeliers.

Yellow Siena Marble stands out in Women’s Evening Wear, as does the Azul Boquira and Irish Green Marble in the area dedicated to Men’s Formalwear. The ceiling is mirrored in shades of green and yellow, and there are Murano glass chandeliers – green in the Men’s area and yellow in Women’s. Furnishings consist of elements designed by Carbondale ad hoc for the boutique, and the historic Seguso di Murano family made exclusive glass pieces such as chandeliers, tables, hanging racks, and doorknobs specifically for the project. Experience a dreamy journey through history, architecture, and design that promises to enchant and charm all.