Nichetto Studio Designs Barovier & Toso’s Venice Flagship
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MILAN — Tourists will have yet another attraction to add to their Venetian glassmaking tour this summer. Venice-Stockholm based Nichetto Studio designed the newly opened flagship store of historic glassmaker Barovier & Toso.
Located in Calle Larga XXII Marzo, the space is located just steps away from St. Mark’s Square. Nichetto Studio was founded by Venetian designer Luca Nichetto in 2006, specializing in industrial design, product design and design consultancy. Treviso-born designer Francesco Dompieri joined the studio in 2011.
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Inside, a modernist tribute to Venetian glass and crystal history involved glass objects modeled to look as if they were sprouting from fertile soil — in this case, a bed of crushed glass.
At the heart of the project, titled “Flora & Flutter,” Nichetto Studio took inspiration from the Barovier cup for the store’s counter, imbuing the shop with a cozy living room ambience. Above, a contemporary chandelier paid tribute to the label’s lighting tradition.
In the upper part of the showcase, the firm added glass butterflies and other decorative glass elements as a tribute to the intricate craftsmanship of glass chandeliers. To underscore the materiality of glass, Nichetto Studio opted for a monochromatic palette, allowing the glass to be the main focus.
Ginori 1735 tapped Nichetto and Barovier & Toso, as well as Rubelli to produce its Domus collection of statement pieces, which was unveiled in April at Milan’s Design Week. Nichetto designed interior pieces, while Barovier & Toso contributed their glassmaking expertise and mouth-blown crystal, which has been built on Murano artisan craftsmanship since the 13th century.
Thanks to a decree issued by the Republic of Venice in 1455, its founder Angelo Barovier was granted the exclusive right to produce “Cristallo Veneziano” (Venetian Crystal), which is unlike any other crystal on the market because it is void of lead and arsenic.
In an interview with WWD in April, Nichetto said the Ginori 1735 collaboration was unique because it was heavily influenced by a trinity of Venetian forces, noting that Rubelli, Barovier & Toso and Ginori 1735 have centuries of tradition, resulting in a landmark collaboration. A native of the Venetian island of Murano, Nichetto was practically raised around the kiln — his grandfather made Venetian glass chandeliers and his mother was a glass decorator.
“For me, seeing an object become a decoration was like witnessing flour becoming a piece of bread. I was lucky enough to be surrounded by art from the start,” he said.
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