Cultural — 2024
Palazzo Luce
Florence
Contemporary gallery spaces within a 15th-century palazzo.
The Challenge
The palazzo is a listed building with original frescoes by Ghirlandaio's workshop. Every intervention required approval from the Soprintendenza. The brief demanded climate-controlled gallery spaces, a loading bay, and a bookshop — all within walls that had not been altered in four centuries.
Area
1,200 m²
Status
Grade I Listed
Duration
36 months
Exhibition
1,200 visitors/day
Process
We mapped every existing fresco, cornice, and surface before designing a series of freestanding volumes that sit within the historical fabric without touching it. The new insertions are connected by bridges that span the original courtyards, leaving the Renaissance circulation intact.
Materials
Pre-rusted Cor-Ten steel and hand-blown玻璃 from Murano form the primary palette. The steel references the patina of the city; the glass provides thermal separation while maintaining visual connection to the original architecture.
Client
“They treated the building not as a constraint but as a collaborator. The result is a gallery that feels both ancient and completely new.”
Outcomes
The gallery found its audience — and its rhythm — faster than anticipated. The project was shortlisted for the Stirling Prize and featured in The Architectural Review, Domus, and Artforum.
Location
Florence
Year
2024
Type
Cultural
Duration
2021–2024
Next Project
Casa Terra
Sicily — Residential