The architects Tiziano Vudafieri and Claudio Saverino have given materials and elements from Venetian tradition a contemporary makeover to ensure a truly authentic experience of the Italian-style aperitivo ritual and socialising.
Characterised by the distinctive orange tones of the Aperol Spritz, Terrazza Aperol is in the heart of Venice, a stone’s throw from Ponte dell’Accademia, in Campo Santo Stefano. The Milan-based architecture firm Vudafieri-Saverino Partners, with offices also in Shanghai, initially designed the interiors in 2021 and has now reworked the concept of this 70 m2 location: a successful fusion of the traditional bacari, Venice’s tiny local bars, with the contemporary allure of a cocktail bar.
To offer an even more authentic experience of the world famous orange aperitif, Tiziano Vudafieri and Claudio Saverino have enhanced the main areas of the Bacaro and the Bar—highlighting the strong link between Aperol and Venetian tradition—and have created the Social Room, a venue that increases the pleasure of socialising in company. Throughout, the architects have introduced blue details from the Aperol brand identity to lend a further note of personality, teamed with neutrals and details picked out in the typical orange that characterise this project.
Inside the Bacaro, where the famous Venetian “cicchetti” appetisers reign supreme, a counter in ribbed canaletto walnut teams with tops in warm white Corian to lend a decorative touch to the interiors and, together with orange details and bright lines, it creates a warm relaxed mood reminiscent of traditional Venetian bacari. The wall next to the counter features an artwork realised in collaboration with the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice, for which the architects chose a base in fil posé to give a fabric-style optical effect and graphics printed with shiny relief parts that contrast with matte elements and background for a 3D feel. Blue is boss throughout the Bacaro, where it teams with the typical orange and also plays with shades of yellow and sky blue taken from the artwork.
The new Social Room stands out as a multi-function area for socialising, which is what Aperol is all about. The stars of this room are a large oak table made from upcycled Venetian “bricole”, the posts that mark the navigable channels in the lagoon, and a 3D-printed lamp in recycled plastic, produced to a design by the architects that recalls classic blown glass chandeliers. To achieve a dynamic yet elegant environment, Vudafieri-Saverino Partners has chosen to cover the walls in a hand-made wallpaper by Fortuny, the historic Venetian weaving company, enlarging and placing the classic “Canestrello” pattern into a bespoke design. Two luxuriant walls in preserved greenery, framed by blue Alcantara-upholstered panels, complete this area and lend tactility and extra colour. Ideal at any time of day, from coffee to after dinner, the Bar continues to be the beating heart of Terrazza Aperol, the ideal place to enjoy a perfect Aperol Spritz and admire the beauty of this city through the large windows overlooking Campo Santo Stefano.
Team:
Architects: Vudafieri-Saverino Partners
Photography: Santi Caleca
