Our aim in 2023 is to finally share much more detail of this exhilarating project with you; indeed, we hope to have some exciting news in the next weeks; even so, it’s safe to say things are moving on at a pace.

On a wet and cold evening, our lead architect Jon Greenfield was back in Venice to visit together with our Venetian architect Roberta Pellegriti and both Stefano and Paul. We started with a meeting and update with two of our most valued consiglieri: Eugenio Tranquilli and Giovanni Rubin de Cervin and ended with an incredible gondola tour of the original site.

The main purpose of the visit was to ensure that we are aligned with what the Comune will want from us, if we are to give Venice the perfect project. We were once again very grateful to the time given by Arch. De Nitto and for the positive reception and insight we received. Later the same day, we toured the site and looked at how we can deliver on our objective of opening up the newly reconstructed theatre to the wider Venetian community: reimaging public opera in the 21^st century, and in doing so keeping our promise to make this a project built on Venetian craftsmanship and the needs of Venice today.

Day two saw the team get together to work on the design of the theatre. For the theatre’s exterior, we have questions of blending the historically-informed theatre with the modern supporting infrastructure needed for everyone’s well-being and safety, plus the challenge of keeping our Baroque roots by celebrating the unique artisan craftsmanship of Venice, though in a context that works today. For the historic theatre itself, the research and its implementation continues apace. It is important we are asking the right questions, even if at first we don’t always know the answer!

Day three saw an improvised tour by gondola of the original site. It is amazing how much we can learn from the brickwork, the closed entrances, the repairs carried out over hundreds of years. Just being in a gondola with Jon looking at any architecture is an education.