There are Italian traditions and excellences needing a magic place to be preserved, as happens to Fornace Orsoni – a glass maker opened in 1888 and famous for its gold mosaic. The company has recently re-opened to the public the historical headquarter in Venice, after a restoration made by Duebarradue studio, which preserved the soul of this place intensifying the magic atmosphere with little details.
Fornace Orsoni hosted last 21st June an interesting meeting about “The relevance and evolution of colors in contemporary architecture, art and design”. A journey to discover the importance of colors, materials and texture in the work of three interior professionals: Giulio Cappellini, architect, designer and Art director of Trend Group, Vicky Syriopoulou, Color Designer, and the architect Teresa Sapey.
This event couldn’t have a better setting than the “Color Library” of the Fornace. A big room covered with shelving units hosting more than 3.500 glass sheets, coded in an indefinite number of tones and shades – among them 32 varieties of the precious gold mosaic, used also for important monuments such as Basilica di San Marco in Venice, Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and St. Paul Cathedral in London. Inside the Library there is also the first “sample case” of the company, presented in 1889 at Universal Exposition in Paris. A multi-color panel made of Venice enamel, glass and gold mosaic.
The charm continues in the old courtyard, today partly converted into a garden, surrounded by Fornace’s buildings; adorned with wood crates full of production scraps and crucibles, used to melt and mix raw materials and artistically decorated by colored glass casting.
Hype of the day the visit to the furnace, where mosaic tiles are still produced with the ancient process of glass making.
