The restyling project of the boutique has maintained and emphasized the peculiarities of the building through a décor that integrates itself into the space in an elegant balance between contrasts and affinities. Spazio Querini is located in one of the oldest streets of Udine’s historic centre, inside the 16th century Palazzo Sacchia, characterized by original arched windows, three-mullioned windows and massive stone walls.

The exhibition space, which has two entrances, is spread over two floors plus a small inner courtyard, enhanced by a floor to ceiling window that frames it like a small garden. The interior design intervention has a minimalist character, playing on various shades of natural greys and beiges that are declined in the display solutions and furnishings such as the original hexagonal islands that serve as support tables. The ground floor is a spacious environment, divided into several rooms by a double row of stone arches highlighted by dark wood floors. For each room a different lighting system was chosen: from the original system of spotlights, positioned like irregular tracks above the ceiling beams at the entrance of Via Mercatovecchio, to the delicate Octopus chandeliers of the second room, to the spectacular maxi-circular lamps positioned in the second entrance, above the iconic Vespa 50. The original sheet metal counter is the focal point between the two entrances, giving an interesting industrial touch to the atmosphere, combining with vintage accessories and contemporary works of art that decorate the walls. A dark wooden staircase leads to the second floor, where the room dedicated to perfumes brings back to the magical atmosphere of an eighteenth-century apothecary shop. From here, through two old Balinese doors in inlaid wood, you enter the floor dedicated to women’s fashion. The original displays for the clothes, made of natural wood and raw canvas, become retractable booths, closing like the old grandmothers’ trunks. The interior, covered with a delicate silk with geometric motifs, reveals itself as a welcoming and unusual changing room. The last room allows access to the storage area, hidden by a special custom-made wardrobe that, with its irregular movement, recalls an ancient screen.

• Credits: Silvio Stefani, Architect. Clara Galanti, Photo.