The Human Safety Net is based on the idea that communities of ‘people helping people’ can bring about sustainable change, creating a positive ripple effect. It reflects Generali’s commitment to contribute towards a healthy, resilient and sustainable society where people can develop and flourish to their full potential.
As part of its long-term commitment, Generali will create a Home for The Human Safety Net in one of its most prized real estate assets: the Procuratie Vecchie in the iconic Piazza San Marco in Venice. Following an international competition, the Italian insurance company has selected David Chipperfield Architects Milan to restore the building.
Completed in the sixteenth century by Jacopo Sansovino, the Procuratie Vecchie dominates the north side of St Mark’s Square. Its monumental façade would go on to establish the classical language for the subsequent developments on the southern and eastern sides. Behind the façade, however, centuries of modifications from multiple occupancy have severely compromised its internal structure.
The project will reunify the interiors of the Procuratie and introduce clarity to the building, establishing suitable spaces for the foundation, as well as improving circulation. DCA Milan is also involved in a longer-term plan to create a public route through the Procuratie Nuove to the Giardini Reali on the Bacino di San Marco waterfront, the restoration of which is also being funded by Generali.
As a city with UNESCO World Heritage Site status and synonymous with imagination, ingenuity and openness, Venice is the ideal host for The Human Safety Net. Generali is undertaking a unique restoration of the Procuratie Vecchie that will bring together other parts of the square and the Royal Gardens. When complete, it will re-establish the historic paths and flow to and from Piazza San Marco.
Generali want apply an approach and sensibility that will allow for a respectful transformation of the monumental Procuratie Vecchie. The hub will host regular public exhibitions, events and discussions on pressing social and demographic challenges from poverty to migration.
“The Human Safety Net and its home in Venice, a city steeped in history and culture, brings together knowledge and inspiration for the common good. I am delighted to be working on this architecturally and socially coherent project, which will convey and connect ideas and people around the world. Working closely with Generali, we have a vision to transform the Procuratie Vecchie into a more active and engaged space, which embodies the global mission of The Human Safety Net, while retaining the dignified beauty and history of the buildings.” said David Chipperfield, Principal of David Chipperfield Architects.
“The beauty of Venice is a source of inspiration for the world, and Generali is very proud to enrich the city’s heritage by restoring the area of Piazza San Marco. By opening the Procuratie Vecchie to the public for the first time in nearly five centuries, we are creating new and vibrant spaces where people can meet to discuss some of today’s most pressing social and global issues.
We are grateful to the Venetian authorities for their support in this endeavour. Venice has long been a crossroads of different cultures from around the world, and we hope to build on this tradition through The Human Safety Net and our movement of ‘people helping people’. David Chipperfield Architects was a natural choice due to his love of Venice and shared vision for an architecturally and socially coherent restoration.” said Philippe Donnet, CEO of Generali Group
