Located in a strategic point from where the city interacts
with the lagoon, Punta della Dogana, transformed in the
17th century from salt storage into ancient mercantile customs
of Serenissima, is a triangular shaped building, like the prow
of a ship, which is dominated by an imposing sculptural group:
a bronze sphere held by two statues of atlas and topped
by Lady Luck who rotates in the direction of the wind.
In 2009, the former customs house, under the instruction
of the François Pinault Foundation, was the subject of a
new transformation. The project patronised by Tadao Ando,
preserves the original architecture, yet reconfigures the space
to convert it into a contemporary art centre. The modulation
of natural light and the originality of the exterior walls made
from bricks and Istrian stone are enhanced by the replacement
of wooden framed windows with thermally broken EBE 65 in
painted galvanised steel, suitable for supporting large glazed
doors on the ground floor and the arched windows on the upper
floor. The new windows and doors, make the space brighter and
ensure an enhanced thermal and acoustic performance, as is
needed for an exhibition space of this type.