In light of the current Biennale and upcoming Venice Hospitality Challenge, we go inside the award-winning, 4* boutique hotel Hotel Indigo to uncover exceptional products for interiors and strengthen our understanding of the islands’ world of glass creations.
During our time in Venice for the Venice Design Biennial and the Architecture Biennial, the team at Hotel Indigo offered us a night’s accommodation to get a closer look at the selection of products used for the hotel’s interior design. Similar to an exhibition, the hotel displays a number of objects such as the glass lamps by Lido-based Siru which provide insight into the mastering of different materials through century’s old techniques. The staff also wear handmade glass pins on their uniforms, offering a glimpse of the famous Rosette of Murano, created for the first time by Marietta Barovier, the daughter of the famous master Angelo, the inventor of Venetian crystal. Instantly mesmerized by the pendants and table lamps by Siru which reveal intricate shapes of blown glass within detailed stainless steel cages, we were convinced the hotel would allow us to expand our knowledge of the world of Venetian glass.
Find more pendants and tips on how to choose the right lighting fixture on ArchiExpo.
The story of the hotel itself is rooted in the local history of its location in the Sant’Elena neighborhood. While the structure of the hotel remains true to its original build as a 1930s Venetian convent, its first transformation in 1999, when it became Hotel Sant’Elena, brought with it a new life. It entered the hospitality industry and opened the door to new possibilities for locals who, notably the manager of the hotel, can still recall their younger years when their schooling took place at the convent. More recently, the hotel underwent an upgrade, with incredible aspects of the renovation such as beautiful tiles inspired by the Venetian Terrazzo technique integrated into the bathrooms. In 2019, it officially reopened under the brand name Hotel Indigo®, in the IHG InterContinental Hotels Group chain.
For this second transformation, architect Manuela Mannino and her firm THDP restyled the hotel and emphasized its location’s history and identity. The reception, lobby and restaurant act as a gallery with local arts and crafts such as hand-blown glass lighting fixtures and lanterns in shades of grey, green and okra that recall the atmosphere of walking down the calli (streets) at night.
*Calli is the plural form of calle, a Venitian term used for ‘street’.
In between the hotel and the Giardini della Biennale, where a number of exhibitions can be seen, we watched as water toyed with the statue of a woman whose arm was stretched out, reaching for the coast. Her body rested parallel to the stone blocks poised below her, and we could see the expression of pain in her eyes of a lost cause. Recalling the history of the Sant’Elena neighborhood, we wondered if there was any connection between the statue and the legend tied to the neighborhood’s name, inspired by the name of the Empress Saint Helena, mother of Constantine the Great. The legend would have us believe the Empress’ relics were on a ship that ran aground a sandbank when it entered the Venetian lagoon and the ship could only refloat once the relics were unloaded on the island. It was here where she found her eternal dwelling when it was still an uninhabited island, so the legend has it. Standing on the coast of Sant’Elena, breathing in the history, we looked across the waterway where we could see Lido Island, home to the exquisite Siru lamp production. It called to us, so we took a boat to Lido where we visited the workshop.
READ: An article on Hotel Indigo Venice Sant’Elena by Artemest reveals other exceptional products selected for the interior.
The Detailed Expertise in Metal Work and Glass Blowing of Siru
We entered the workshop of Siru, situated on Via Morea, founded by Rudy Marinotto in 1988, to learn about the technical and artistic details involved in producing such breathtaking lighting fixtures made using the ancient artisan techniques of Murano. The ever-inspiring combination of sand and minerals, ingredients for the recipe of glass, never ceases to amaze with endless possibilities to play with shape, color and texture. By adding certain minerals during the sand melting process, for example, colors are created. Each part of the practice plays a role in the final product.
Beyond the main entrance of the atelier, dedicated to administrative work, a narrow corridor features an array of various Siru designs—lamps of different shapes and sizes, of different collections. We walked down the corridor and entered the main showroom where the company had lighting fixtures from the various five catalogs on display.
On the other side of the workshop, an employee was welding rods together in order to complete one of the many stainless steel cages to be used as a disposable mold to produce some of the lighting fixtures. The master glassmaker can create the product’s shape by blowing the glass inside the cage. Although not all of the Siru products retain the cage, the range that does caught our attention at Hotel Indigo and, despite the many beautiful choices the company offers, remains one of our favorites.
In addition to working metal in the atelier, the glass production cycle also occurs there. It consists of four phases: mixture preparation, melting, refining and cooling. In order to obtain particular finishes, before blowing, the glass is sometimes inserted in a mold that imprints the texture. The glass, blown by the master glassmaker inside the stainless steel frame, inflates until it develops into the desired shape. Once this process is completed, the product is introduced into the tempering, which allows cooling, avoiding breakage. Only when the glass has cooled can the following processes be carried out: cutting, grinding and drilling, depending on the requirements. The blown glass in the stainless steel cage is, thus, ready to be assembled with the other components.
In addition to maintaining the techniques and tradition of artistic craftsmanship, the company has adapted them to an avant-garde production through the integration of a production line with the most modern welding robots, threedimensional bending machines and polishing baths. It produces models ranging from the standards in the catalogs to those designed and commissioned by designers. Siru products enhance the beauty of many hotels and establishments around the world, from Italy, France and Greece to the United States. Take note also that Siru has a line of homeware furniture.
Hotel Indigo Connects Guests with Local Glass Craftsmen
We followed our visit to Siru with an experience similar to what Hotel Indigo offers its guests. To dig deeper into the Venetian culture of glass, guests are invited to participate in courses with local bead craftsmen. Although we did not test our hands at the process, we took a boat to Murano where we spoke with Monica Cavaletto at her atelier Ferro Vetro.
“It’s a nice experience for tourists to try to do something with their hands, to understand the story of glass. Also, once you’ve worked with glass, you approach the pieces—even those seen in shop windows—in a different way,” Monica Cavaletto said during our interview with her.
Monica Cavaletto’s life journey seems embedded in the world of glass. Born in Lido, she began by working for Venini in the 80s. The Murano company Venini is famous worldwide for its handcrafted design products. It wasn’t until later in life that her passion for glass grew and she chose to branch out into handmade glass jewelry and creations.
“I started by designing jewelry but I had to wait too long to receive the products, so I decided to start flameworking in order to do it myself. Glass is a passion because you can’t stay away from glass once you start to learn about the history.”
The Ferro Vetro studio she runs now once belonged to the Ferro family, her husband’s family, one of the first glassmakers on the islands of Murano whose work can also be found at the Glass Museum.
“Glassmaking is a very long-held tradition in Murano, started during the 11th century. The old Murano families have their own symbols, so you can find the trademark symbols of the Ferro family at the Glass Museum in Murano.”
She believes that the glass masters who have taken their atelier outside Murano don’t retain the same vibe as those who have remained on the islands. In Venice, when you’re living on the islands, without the hustle and bustle of car traffic during home-to-office trips, you run into people and take time to chat. This exchange and walking the streets create inspiration for colors: the lagoon, the sunset and sunrise, the ambiance and various colors found throughout the islands.
Inspiration for colors, shapes and textures can make the difference between products. Local workshops tend to have distinct characteristics. Most of the important glass companies do their own glass canes to achieve this distinction. Still, some small studios buy the glass canes ready-to-use.
“For the glass canes, there’s one company in Murano: effetre. In order to buy the canes, you need to be a company; effetre doesn’t sell to individual consumers, only to companies.”
The glassmaking business in Venice is taken very seriously. Those involved in the sector work hard to maintain ancient techniques and traditions. They’ve also opened the door to allow visitors to learn, discover and experience the world of glass in more ways than one. Cavaletto is right: Once you’ve started learning about the history of glass, you can’t stay away.
