Restoration

Designs for the delicate restoration work on the foyer, Apollo auditoria and theatre auditorium were preceded by detailed analysis of the theatre's architectural, artistic and decorative development over the years, with consideration for all prior reconstruction and refurbishment projects.
Particular emphasis was placed on investigating ancient building techniques.
Throughout the restoration process, care was taken to consolidate all surviving parts and decorations were refurbished using traditional techniques. In general, restoration work is usually based on the concept of distinguishing missing parts by giving them an imperfect finish, provided there are fewer missing parts than surviving areas. In this case, however, the number of surviving parts was minimal, and there is specific reasoning behind the decision to save them: creating a sense of continuity which goes beyond the devastation of the fire, something which no reconstruction project can make up for. As a result, instead of trying to achieve the technically impossible goal of making ancient parts look new, they will be integrated with the rest of the theatre as small, “imperfect” areas for reasons of authenticity. The overall image of the restored theatre, therefore, will have a pleasantly refurbished look, but there will be small areas which careful spectators will be able to notice, guaranteeing a faithful reconstruction project and underlining the historical continuity of the building and its inimitable atmosphere. The utmost concern for the surviving parts means that the reconstruction project is anything but a copy produced far from Venice.
In full respect of the terms of the building competition, the approach to reconstruction was based on interpreting La Fenice's decorative features, and those of most theatres of its time, as a repetition of “set phrases” put in place using interrelated technical skills. The finely honed decorations bind the ensemble together; as far as materials are concerned, greater emphasis is placed on acoustics over and above aesthetic considerations.
Irreplaceable parts which are more than mere decorations and stand out as artistic expressions in their own right will be studied and analysed in further detail.
Particular emphasis has been placed on the delicate balance between decoration, reproduced to match the original design, and modified technical and systems-related aspects.
The fact that the perimeter walls of the theatre auditorium are still standing means that the original shape of the theatre must be kept, not least because it was designed to optimise the acoustics. The guideline here was to reproduce the Meduna brothers' auditorium based on the original technical design, with the emphasis on carefully chosen, delicately crafted wood, rather than simply restoring its outer appearance.
The foyer and Apollo auditoria
The restoration and conservation project involves refurbishing those parts which survived the fire and those which can be recovered: a cornerstone of our reconstruction project. The reconstruction project as a whole is aimed at conserving surviving parts as widely as possible, since the value of this cultural asset is found at various levels in the building materials. Our approach to “designing” the conservation project was of course based on in-depth historical research and chemical, physical and mechanical analysis of the ruins, as well as detailed surveys to complete the technical reports included in the preliminary project.
Research into modifications to most of the foyer area proved vital in dating masonry in the Apollo auditoria during the restoration project, as well as helping us understand changes in the layout and function of the building . The foyer was doubled in size in 1930 by Miozzi under orders from the Commune of Venice, which had taken over ownership of the theatre after acquiring the last remaining privately-owned boxes, with the proviso that it restored the “neoclassical appearance”.
A detailed survey of the theatre after the fire and comparisons with its condition before the event, rich in typical 18th-century features such as stuccowork and plaster which hint at later modifications, Venetian terrazzo work, imitation marble, wrought iron and brass, decorated glass and crystal, lacquered wood, gilded wood and stucco, made it possible to restore the artistic value of the architecture and decorations, details of which can be found in individual reports.
The theatre auditorium
The theatre auditorium, completely destroyed except for the perimeter walls, has been rebuilt using the same techniques and materials which the Meduna brothers utilised following the 19th century fire. The value of this statement lies in the fact that reconstruction work was to be based on the surviving structure, since the skeleton of the building mirrors its previous form, as Meduna wrote in his report for the reconstruction project after the 19th-century fire: “In order to improve the resonance of the Theatre, the ceiling of the auditorium was made ellipsoid in shape, and curves were introduced to smooth off the angles of the boxes, and those of the flooring beneath the theatre stalls, thereby increasing sonority”.
All materials used in the construction of Selva's auditorium were carefully chosen to act as sound boxes for the acoustics, and Meduna mentions the problem of sourcing the right type of wood several times: “It is extremely important in an auditorium that the articulation and sound of the voice, the melody of song and harmony of the orchestra are produced without making a din, and that spectators in every part can hear consonances well. Care was taken over resonance before rebuilding work began. Acoustics reveal to us the real phenomena occurring in vibrating bodies and the laws governing them; but theory alone is not sufficient... we must make use of experience...The auditorium can be seen as the case of a large musical instrument... which must vibrate in unison with the vibrating body. Acoustics are produced by carefully examining materials, their structure and quality”.
Meduna also noted that “wood is to be preferred to stone or metal for its sweeter voice, and dry wood is better than fresh, damp wood; it is better if its fibres are straight and homogenous, since this ensures that excited molecules travel uniformly... and greater flexibility produces greater resonance...”.
It was therefore decided that the structure should be made principally from wood, reflecting the art of master carpenters who understand just how to cut tree trunks and respect the qualities of the wood: “the shape of parallel fibres as they occur in a trunk which has been cut laterally in the correct manner can be compared to a cylinder rather than a cone; this type of cut makes it possible to section lines so that they are perfectly parallel”. This technique mirrors the existing design, the result of rococo restyling in the mid 19th century using plain lacquered wood, wood inlaid in strips, wood inlaid in the round and papier-mâché, a quick method which is always gilded and, more importantly, reproduces the excellent acoustics found throughout La Fenice.
Restoration of the theatre auditorium and the unique atmosphere prior to a performance was completed with a new copy of the historic curtain, designed by Antonio Ermolao Paoletti during modernisation and conservation work directed by Cadorin, depicting Onfredo Giustiniani bringing news of the victory at Lepanto to Venice. It seems to celebrate the eternal rebirth of La Fenice like a ceremonial flag.

Project report