Set Design Project "Vivere Sperando"
Image of Madonna del Monte now
Vivere Sperando
The Madonna del Monte is the name of two small islands located off the coast of Murano and Burano in Venice Italy. The original buildings consisted of a long church, and a separate tower located nearby to be used as a basilica. The Madonna del monte was originally the convent of Santa Catarina, in 1712, but when the island began to sink and deteriorate it was abandoned and left for the ocean.
“Vivere Sperando” in Italian means “to live hoping”, because although nothing can be done to save the Madonna del Monte, perhaps it can be changed so that it will be remembered in the future by those who visit it now.
Vivere Sperando is the re-envisioned design of what the Madonna del Monte can look like in its last days. The idea is that the Madonna del monte itself can “live hoping” that it will be remembered even when it is no longer there. Rather than fix the building, the ruins are being accepted for their original beauty and being broken down further to allow the nature, sun, and stars surrounding the area, to come into the space. By utilizing lighting and water to create a calm environment, the islands guide users on a journey of hope.
Site plan of wayfinding onto Vivere Sperando
Visitors will take a journey by boat to the main island. From there the ruins from the domes above, and the flooded floors below, will guide visitors through the space and lead them to the spiral staircase. The staircase will then guide them to the roof, where they can explore the fallen domes and appreciate the sky and views around them.
Main building Section Plan
Section plan of the Madonna del Monte
From there visitors can continue their journey of hope back down to the island and over the broken Venetian bridges that will then lead them to the tower….
Render of the Venetian bridges
The tower consists of 6 levels and was created with a planetarium in mind. Each level features a different astrolabe, which is an orb shaped device used to measure the location of the stars. Each astrolabe is purposely positioned on each level for wayfinding purposes to lead the visitor further up the tower while also mapping the stars on each level.
The frescos on the walls of the tower showcase the religious history of the building, but the further visitors go up the tower, the closer they get to the stars, and the more the frescoes begin to change from religious themes to astrological.
When visitors reach the top of the tower, the dome is half opened to allow them to view the sky and stars from the highest point of the building and fully appreciate their journey of finding hope. When they are ready, they can continue back down the tower where they can dock their boat from the inside of the basilica. Continuing on, they make their way back to reality, completely reflecting on their journey, as they slowly leave Vivere Sperando to remember it for years to come.
Section image depicting the tower