The Modern Finishes at “Principi di Piemonte” Marine Colony in Venice-Lido Towards their Conservation

The Venetian lagoon, and particularly its historic centre, is a context of significant complexity for the insertion of modern architectural interventions, due to its typological characteristics and deeply rooted building traditions. Despite this comprehensible resistance to change, notable examples of 20th-century architecture have emerged, including the Marine Colony of Padua “Principi di Piemonte”, designed in the mid-1930s by Daniele Calabi with the engineering collaboration of Antonio Salce. Located in the Alberoni area of the Venice-Lido, the Colony is connoted by a distinctly stereometric design – two parallel volumes connected by an iconic vaulted portico – and by its innovative use of materials, ranging from thin stone slabs to glass, grès ceramic tiles, and “petrifying” plasters. These materials, applied in both traditional and modern ways, reflect the architectural experimentation of the period and emphasise the building’s significance as a landmark in the evolution of construction techniques during a transformative era. Abandoned for decades, the structure is now the subject of renewed interest, prompted by the local community and scholarly initiatives, which have spurred proposals for its restoration and re-functionalization. This study, developed through a collaboration between the University of Brescia and the Superintendency of Venice, integrates an in-depth historical analysis with advanced chemical-physical investigations of its construction materials, conducted using techniques such as scanning electron microscopy and elemental chemical analysis (SEM-EDX). The research not only provides essential insights to guide future conservation and restoration efforts but also contributes to the broader understanding of modern architectural materials, a critical issue in the ongoing debates on the preservation of 20th-century architectural heritage.