Sitting rather outside of any conventional commission or even typology, the project to design a performance space within the Arcari caves – which used to supply Pietra di Vicenza stone until their closure – evolved through a long professional collaboration between David Chipperfield Architects and the Laboratorio Morseletto, producers of traditional artisanal Venetian stone and marble.
The caves, located near Vicenza in Zovencedo, are the result of 60 years of quarrying which left behind a cavernous space supported by irregular massive piers and largely filled with water underneath a wooded hill. Upon entering the caves, visitors can experience space, material, and structure as a singular, unique entity where nature and architecture seamlessly imitate each other. Recognizing these extraordinary qualities, the Morseletto family had often used the space for informal events, which encouraged them to develop a more permanent solution.
The romantic and tectonic qualities of the quarry, with its carved stone and filtered water, were already so strong that minimal interventions were required. The project reintroduces the typical white Vicenza stone into the space with a series of platforms, steps, and ramps reminiscent of Adolphe Appia’s stage sets. The platforms, known as Cavea, reference the stepped tiers in ancient Roman theatres. This intervention has created a dialogue between the accidental architecture of the caves and the formalized stage and seating platforms, representing occupation and performance.
Vicenza stone is the only material used in the project. The stone is both added and subtracted, and the project can be seen as a continuation of the historic quarrying done on the site. Both the ambient and stage lighting, designed by Viabizzuno, enhance the atmosphere, with the surrounding, water-filled chambers lit from below adding to the visual spectacle. The project has created a multifunctional space that preserves and emphasizes the unique characteristics of the place.
British photographer Edmund Sumner has captured the monolithic performance space that David Chipperfield Architects crafted within Cava Arcari. Completed in 2018, the project transformed the cave from its former use as a Vicenza stone quarry. Sumner's photographs highlight the imposing details of the former quarry, which is supported by giant piers deep beneath a wooded hill.
David Chipperfield Architects' intervention is defined by steps intended to resemble stage sets by Swiss architect Adolphe Appia. Though Cava Arcari fell out of use in the 1950s, its transformation began in 2010, stemming from the collaboration between David Chipperfield Architects and Laboratorio Morseletto. Before this, Laboratorio Morseletto had been using the old quarry for informal events but desired a more permanent performance venue.
The space is now defined by a series of steps, platforms, and ramps formed from typical white Vicenza stone, intended as a continuation of the cave's geology. These forms take cues from the works of Appia and ancient Roman theatres.
Sumner was drawn to photographing Cava Arcari for the "visual traces of time" visible throughout it. He noted how architecture can leave visual traces of time, with skilled eyes able to date a project by these traces. Cava Arcari exhibits this phenomenon, with different areas of the quarry marked by various mining techniques used over the years.
Sumner's photos also reveal the stage lighting by Viabizzuno, which exaggerates the cavernous details and reflects in deep pools of water throughout. The quarry's long, deep flooded corridors, largely inaccessible, also serve as a testament to the cave's history and transformation.
David Chipperfield Architects, founded in 1985, specializes in renovations, with notable projects including the revamp of Berlin's Neues Museum and the Neue Nationalgalerie designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The photography of Cava Arcari by Edmund Sumner encapsulates the project’s harmonious blend of nature and architecture, creating a monolithic performance space that is both a continuation of and a tribute to its historical roots.
Architects: David Chipperfield Architects
Area: 1880 m²
Year: 2018
Photographs: Edmund Sumner
Manufacturers: Viabizzuno
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