THE PRELIMINARY PROJECT

1. Introduction

Foreword
When La Fenice Theatre was destroyed by fire, the Italian government and city authorities made the reconstruction and restoration of the theatre one of Venice's most urgent priorities.
The theatre was to be rebuilt as quickly as possible.
The debate surrounding the fire, characterised at first by widely differing points of view and failing to produce a solution approved by all involved, nonetheless generated a number of unanimous resolutions.
These resolutions, which will govern the entire rebuilding project, are as follows:
- consolidating, restoring and completely refurbishing all the theatre's surviving structures, parts, fittings and decorations;
- reproducing the features and acoustics of the lost auditorium;
- protecting the unique atmosphere of the lost theatre as regards areas of public use and within reasonable limits;
- updating the theatre's systems and stage resources using cutting-edge technology;
- rationalising service areas;
- improving the management of the theatre.
The reconstruction project will have to overcome the problem of physical, architectural and environmental restrictions, meet public and occupational health and safety regulations and take account of modern building and technological standards; these concerns make it impractical to reproduce every last detail of the theatre as it was before the fire.
Reconciling conservation needs with the many and diverse requirements of the new theatre and matching the need for drastic building work with the desire to reproduce the character and qualities - be they material or not - of the lost theatre: this is the greatest and most delicate problem which all those involved in the rebuilding project will have to address.
Of course, it is impossible to reproduce the theatre as designed by Selva, rebuilt by Meduna or modified by Miozzi; while similar, it will not even be identical to the theatre as it was before the fire.
Extensively rebuilt, its lost parts replaced, functions modified and technology improved, the new La Fenice will nonetheless be a mere evocation of its former self.

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