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The Venice transformation, from an overpopulated industrial city to an

abandoned touristic city

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The Venice transformation, from an overpopulated industrial city to an abandoned touristic

city

Author: Armando Cepeda Guedea, master’s degree in urban planning at Universidad Nacional

Autónoma de México

Abstract

The city is always a changing object which adapts to its society and economic needs. In the last 70

years the city of Venice has passed a transformation, from an overpopulated industrial city, to a

city totally dependent on tourism with a population in continuous decline. Thus, with a documental

and photographic review from the urban - architectural angle, gives a perspective on how the

touristification can change the function of buildings and even the urban structure of a city.

Key words: architecture, Venice, touristification, urban transformations, social changes,

depopulation

Resumen

La ciudad es siempre un objeto cambiante que se adapta a su sociedad y necesidades económicas. En los

últimos 70 años, la ciudad de Venecia ha pasado por una transformación, de una ciudad industrial sobre

poblada, a una ciudad totalmente dependiente del turismo con una población en continuo declive. Así, con

una revisión documental y fotográfica desde el ángulo urbano - arquitectónico, se consigue una perspectiva

de cómo la turistificación puede cambiar la función de los edificios e incluso la estructura urbana de una

ciudad.

Palabras clave: arquitectura, Venecia, turistificación, transformaciones urbanas, cambios sociales,

despoblación

Introduction
The present study aims to present how the buildings in the city of Venice and the urban structure

in Venice was adapted from an industrial city in the first half of the XX century to a touristic center

nowadays. The changes can be spotted in almost every part of the city, in where former factories

are transformed into schools or hotels, or antique Venetian palaces transformed into museums,

touristic housing or commercial stores. The urban structure has also changed with new urban

facilities focused on tourism creating new centralities by their own. This changes provoques a

constant reduction on the local population, where the original city center is no longer inhabited

because the high prices of the properties in that area. The study wants to point the effects of mass

tourism in this historic city from the architectonic and urbanistic perspective.

The city of Venice

The city of Venice is located in northeast Italy in the shallow of the Venetian Lagoon, it lies over

118 islands separated by channels which are linked by 400 bridges1. The city can only be traveled

by foot or boat, making a unique case in modern cities where cars and its roads are key elements

in a city configuration. The Historic Center of Venice is declared UNESCO World Heritage Site

with many buildings with high historical value, which makes it an attractive destination for tourists

all around the world to visit the city.

The Historic Center of Venice forms part of the municipality of Venice that includes the other

islands of the Venetian Lagoon such as Lido, Murano, Burano and Torcello for example, and the

mainland cities of Mestre, Marguera and Favaro2, up to 1950’s, the Historic Center of Venice was

1
The surface of Venice according the Commune di Venezia is 797.96 ha
2
The municipality of Venice was established in 1923, before that Mestre, Favaro, Burano, Murano, Pellestrina,
Chirignago and Zelarino were independent municipalities
the main urban center of the municipality, but this has changed and nowadays Mestre is the real

center of the municipality.

The Historical Center of Venice due to its geographical condition is vulnerable to flooding, each

year in autumn and spring the high tide known in Venice as “acqua alta” appears causing some

years damage to the buildings and provoking the evacuation of the population of certain areas in

the city. 1966 was the year when the high tide (1.96m) reached its peak causing a damage on

approximately 75% of the houses and shops.

History

The origins of the city of Venice can be traced to 452 AC when the inhabitants of the inland roman

city of Altinum escaped from the hun invasion and decided to establish a settlement in the islands

of the Venice Lagoon. In the early stages the city was under Byzantine domain, leaving a strong

influence in the later architecture. The city became the capital of the Republic of Venice (697 AC-

1797 AC), by the late middle ages and the renaissance the city was one of the maritime powers in

the Mediterranean and an economic center, as a matter of fact by the 14th century the city was

considered as one of the first financial centers in Europe. The city suffered a slow period of

decadence as consequence of the dominance of the east Mediterranean by the Ottoman Empire

blocking the commercial routes that one day made Venice one of the greatest powers in Europe.

The end of the republic of Venice came in the year of 1797 AC, when the troops of Napoleon took

the city making the last Dogo resign. In the second half of the 19th century the city began to grow

with the arrival of the train connecting the city with the mainland (1846 AC) transforming the city

into and industrial center. Until the first half of the 20th century the city remained as an industrial
center, in the following years the city lost influence and importance in favor of the mainland cities

of Mestre and Marguera in the mainland.

The Venetian architecture

The city of Venice was builded mostly over alluvial mud, in order to support the all the churches

and Venetian palaces, the inhabitants of Venice developed a system of timber piles driven into

mud that with the pass of the time harden to form a strong foundation and support the Venetian

buildings mostly builded of bricks and stone3.

The most characteristic architectonic style in the historic center of Venice is the Venetian Gothic

a variant of the Italian gothic with influence of the Byzantine and Arab architecture, as

consequence of the intense trade with the eastern world. The most important exponent of this style

is the Doge’s Palace with the characteristic ogee arches and the particular rose windows that are

very present in the other Venetian palaces, despite the numerous fires and remodelation the Ducal

Palace preserve the same exterior style as 1340 AD, other important exponents of this style are

Ca’ d’Oro (1432 AD) and Ca’ Foscari (1453 AD), this two palaces have their facades facing the

Grand Canal.

3
John Roloff, Venice Substructure Complex (Venice: Emily Harvey Foundation, 2016),
https://www.johnroloff.com/Roloff_VSC2.pdf (Consulted 10-06-2020)
Figure 1: Facade of the Ducal Palace
Font: Armando Cepeda Guedea (2018)

In the Renaissance was also a time of flourishing of the architecture with important buildings as

the Procuratie (1640 AD) designed by Scamozi, in the High Renaissance the head architect of

Venice was Andrea Palladio who published The Four Books of Architecture (1570 AD) , which is

treatise on architecture that served as a guide of the principles of architecture, that nowadays is

still present in the architecture faculties around the world.

Figure 2: The Procuratie

Font: Armando Cepeda Guedea (2018)
The Italian economic miracle in Venice. The early 1950’s
During the World War II, Venice received an important flow of migrants seeking for refuge

because the city was free of bombardments due to an agreement between the Germans and Allies,

causing a change in the natural demographics of the city. After the war Venice continued to receive

migrants mainly form the countryside seeking for jobs opportunities4, until 1951 the population in

the Historic Center of Venice was growing, thereafter the population of Venice has only decreased.

Figure 3: View form the Grand Channel in 1950

Font: Archivio Fotografico Giacomelli - Comune di Venezia (1950)

By the beginnings of the 1950’s the city had an important industrial activity but with clear signs

of decline and even disappearance. In 1951 three big factories were still operating in Venice, the

Navy arsenal factory was employing nearly 3,000 civil employees, the Molino Stucky with 500

workers by the time. Also, the Italian Navy Command of the Adriatic was still in Venice,

4
In the 1950’s decade the Italian economic miracle happened, marking a shift in the economics of the country, from
a mainly agricultural economic by the baggings of the decade, to a mainly industrial economic by the beginnings of
the 1960’s. Cohen, Jon, and Giovanni Federico. “An Economic Miracle? Italy in the Golden Age, 1945–1960.”
Chapter. In The Growth of the Italian Economy, 1820–1960, 87–106. New Studies in Economic and Social History.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001
generating jobs and a constant source of population, and the Cotonificio, a fabric factory

employing around 600 workers.

In 1952 for the first time the flow of goods in the port of Venice (5,091,814 tons) was superior

than 1939 (4,599,176) before the war, this increase can be understood due the increasing demand

of petroleum, because the commercial flow in 1952 (1,421,841) was still below the times before

war (2,220,818) in 19395.

Venice by the beginnings of the 1950’s decade regains its place as a cultural center, with the return

of the important cultural events as the Venice Biennale and the Venice Film Festival in Lido at

full capacity, increasing the touristic activity in the city. In the 1950’s the tourism was not yet

massified but the signs of the future touristification were begging to appear, for example in 1950

for the first time the non-Italian tourists (278,875) surpassed the local ones (226,180)6. It can be

considered that the 1950’s was the decade were the touristification process of the historical center

of Venice began.

The end of the industrial era in Venice

Since the 1930’s the mainland cities of Mestre and Marguera began to develop its own industrial

centers, until the first half of the 1950’s Venice retained its position as the main industrial center

and the most populated city of the municipality, but by the second half of the 1950’s the industrial

activity began to disappear and the population began an exodus to Mestre and Marguera.

5
Leopoldo Pietragnoli, Maurizio Reberschak, L'ottocento e il novecento 3 - La citta e il territorio nell'ultimo
novecento: DALLA RICOSTRUZIONE AL 'PROBLEMA' DI VENEZIA (Venice: Treccani, 2002),
http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/l-ottocento-e-il-novecento-3-la-citta-e-il-territorio-nell-ultimo-novecento-dalla-
ricostruzione-al-problema-di-venezia_%28Storia-di-Venezia%29/ (Consulted 12-06-2020)
6
Leopoldo Pietragnoli, Maurizio Reberschak, L'ottocento e il novecento 3 - La citta e il territorio nell'ultimo
novecento: DALLA RICOSTRUZIONE AL 'PROBLEMA' DI VENEZIA (Venice: Treccani, 2002),
http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/l-ottocento-e-il-novecento-3-la-citta-e-il-territorio-nell-ultimo-novecento-dalla-
ricostruzione-al-problema-di-venezia_%28Storia-di-Venezia%29/ (Consulted 12-06-2020)
In 1954 due to the reduction of working hours and layoffs in the factory the workers of the Mulino

Stucky began a big strike in Venice, the factory finally closed activities in 1955. In 1956 the Italian

Navy Command of the Adriatic, left Venice and was relocated in Ancona and by 1957 the

industrial activity of the Navy arsenal ended, finally in 1960 the last big factory in Venice the

Cotonificio ended activities.

Figure 4: Workers on strike in the Grand Canal 1954

Font: Fondo Mantovani -Comune di Venezia (1954)

The depopulation of Venice

Venice in 1951 reached its peak population with 175,000, 55.4% 7 of the population of the

municipality was still living in the Historical Center, meaning that Venice was by the time the

7
Comune di Venezia, Serie storica della popolazione residente nel Comune di Venezia, (Venice: Comune di
Venezia, 1999), p. IX.
main center of the municipality. Over the next years the Historic of Venice began to lose

population in favor of the main land settlements of Mestre, Marguera and Favaro, searching for

job opportunities and better life conditions.

Table 1. Population on the Municipality of Venice 1951

Community Population %

Municipality of Venice 315,811 100%

Historic Center 44,037 13.9%

Estuario 174,808 55.4%

Mainland 96,966 30.7%

Font: Author’s elaboration with data of Relazione sugli aspetti dinamici della demografia veneziana e sui censimenti

generali del 1961

The housing conditions in Venice was one of the reasons the inhabitants of the city began an

exodus to mainland cities, mainly to Mestre. In 1951 there were 47,586 families in 33,502

households, meaning that the average Venetian family was composed by around 4 members, today

the average family in Venice is composed by 3 members. In 1951 793 families occupied 675

inadequate houses oh which 391 didn’t had running water and 583 without an adequate drainage

system8.

The depopulation process of Venice can be divided in two periods, Exodus (1951-1971) and

Toristification (1971-present), in the first period the depopulation was moved basically by

socioeconomic reasons, the city was overpopulated, the jobs on the island were disappearing and

the housing condition were not the optimal. The next table shows the depopulation process from

1951 to 2000.

8
Renato Desidery, Relazione sugli aspetti dinamici della demografia veneziana e sui censimenti generali del 1961,
(Venice:n.e, 1962), p. 63.
Table 2. Depopulation of Venice

Period Years Reduction of Social reasons % Natural reasons Population at the

population % beginning of the
decade
Exodus 1951-1961 -38,000 99% 1% 175,000

Exodus 1961-1971 -29,000 90% 10% 137,000

Touristification 1971-1981 -16,000 49% 51% 108,000

Toursitification 1981-1991 -17,000 51% 49% 92,000

Toursitification 1991-1999 -8000 30% 70% 75,000

Toursitification 2000 67,000

Font: Author’s elaboration with data of Dal sovraffollamento all’esodo: popolazione ed occupazione a Venezia nel

’900

In the second period called Toristification (1971-present), even though the housing condition are

much better than in the 1950’s, the price is constantly going up making every year more difficult

for the residents to remain in the city, also the housing offer is constantly decaying because the

original buildings for housing are transforming into building for commercial and touristic

purposes, other main reason of the constant depopulation in this period is the reduction or lacking

of services for the inhabitants of the city, such as parks, public libraries and grocery stores for

example. The next table shows the reasons why the residents of Venice want to leave the city9.

Table 3. Reasons the residents of the Historical Center of Venice want to leave the city

Section % Of residents who Too many tourists Lack of services Life has become too
have thought expensive
moving out

Venice Center 8.40% 20.49% 20.51% 19.55%

9
The study divides Venice in 3 sections North, South and. Center. Dario Bertocchi and Francesco Visentin. “The
Overwhelmed City”: Physical and Social Over-Capacities of Global Tourism in Venice”, Sustainability 2019, no.11.
(2019), www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability. (Consulted 11-06-2020)
 Venice North 22.37% 27.44% 29.04% 28.55%

Venice South 12.77% 52.08% 50.45% 51.90%

Section Venice itself Lack of jobs Personal reasons Possibility to rent

the house

Venice Center 18.93% 19.82% 17.44% 22.30%

Venice North 25.89% 31.35% 30.81% 29.05%

Venice South 55.18% 48.83% 51.74% 48.65%

Font: Author’s elaboration with data of The Overwhelmed City”: Physical and Social Over-Capacities of Global

Tourism in Venice

The effects of touristification on the urban structure of Venice

The Historic Center of Venice is traditionally divided in six “Quartiere” or districts, each one with

its own characteristics and numeration. The next map with data of “L'ottocento e il novecento 3 -

La citta e il territorio nell'ultimo novecento” of Leopoldo Pietragnoli, Conoscere Venezia and

Cartoteca storica ISMAR-Venezia, shows a rough image of the main economic activities in the

Historic Center of Venice by the beginnings of the 1950’s.

Figure 5: Context of Venice Historic Center by the beggings of the 1950’s.
Font: Author’s elaboration with data of The Overwhelmed City”: Physical and Social Over-Capacities of Global
Tourism in Venice

The map shows how the industrial areas were distributed by the beginnings of the 1950’s. The area

of Santa Marta in the Santa Croce Sestiere is where a main industrial zone was located, its

geographical location near the port and the car bridge10 allowed the goods to be moved in an

efficient way, the Cotonificio and the Warehouses were located in that area. The artificial island

of Giudecca in the Dordoduro Sestiere was were the Mulino Stucky was located allowing a fast

transport of goods through the Giudecca channel, also a small shipyard was located in the island.

10
The car bridge that connects Venice with the mainland is known as Ponte della Libertà builded in 1933, its length
is almost of 4km. Structurae, “Ponte della Libertà”, Structurae, https://structurae.net/en/structures/ponte-della-
liberta (Consulted 12-06-2020)
In the Castello Sestiere was were the navy factory of the Navy Arsenale was located, as seen in

the map it occupied a big area of the Historic Center. The Sestieres of San Polo and San Marco is

where the city center is located, the commercial activity and the small touristic industry was located

in that area. The Cannaregio Sestiere was were the main residential area of Venice was located,

nowadays the majority of the population of Venice still lives in Cannaregio, the train station of

Venice is located there and in the 1950’s a small warehouse area was located besides the train

station and the Venice Slaughterhouse.

In the period 1951-2019, the city of Venice lost 122,012 inhabitants representing a loss of 70% of

the population. The depopulation can be considered an effect of the touristification, the next table

shows the population changes in each Sestiere, showing that the effects of touristification doesn’t

affect the city on a uniform way.

Table 4. Population of Venice by Sestiere (2008-2019)

Sestiere 2008 Population % Of total 2019 Population % Of total Var % 2008-

population population 2019

Cannaregio 16,833 28% 15,147 29% 10%

Castello 15,140 25% 12,868 24% 15%

Dorsoduro 13,467 23% 12,013 23% 11%

San Marco 4,169 7% 3,632 7% 13%

San Polo 5,060 8% 4,477 8% 12%

Santa Croce 5,471 9% 4,851 9% 11%

Total 60,140 100% 52,988 100% 12%

Font: Author’s elaboration with data of The Overwhelmed City”: Physical and Social Over-Capacities of Global

Tourism in Venice

The table gave interesting interesting insights about the depopulation phenomena in Venice, in 11

years the population of the Historical Center of Venice reduced in 12%, as mentioned previously
the toursitification affects in different levels in each Sestiere. In the last 10 years the depopulation

was bigger in Castello with 15% of population reduction, showing that the urban transformation

where the housing is transformed into touristic accommodations and shops is currently being

developed in a bigger way in that area. The historic city center located on the San Marco Sestiere

is the most touristic zone of Venice were the Ducal Palace and the Saint Mark Basilica are located

and also is the second district that lost more population in the last 11 years with 13%, San Marco

is the less populated district and with the current tendencies in a few years the population of the

Sestiere will be residual. Aside the toursitification process, San Marco depopulation can be

explained due the vulnerability of the zone to the high tide “acqua alta” because is the lowest part

of the city with 80cm over sea level11.

The Sestiere with the less population loss is Cannaregio, in fact in the last 10 years the district

gains 1% of population weight in the last 11 years, sustaining the condition as the most populated

district of the city.

The next maps with data of The Overwhelmed City”: Physical and Social Over-Capacities of

Global Tourism in Venice shows the concentration of beds for tourists and the concentration of

shops and restaurants in every Sestiere of the Historic Center of Venice.

11
According to the Municipality of Venice the high tide becomes perceptible in Saint Marks Square at 82cm, at Rialto
Bridge in San Polo at 95cm, finally in the railway station in Cannaregio the high tide becomes perceptible at 135cm
Figure 6: Concentration of touristic beds per Sestiere
Font: Author’s elaboration with data of The Overwhelmed City”: Physical and Social Over-Capacities of Global
Tourism in Venice

The biggest concentration of touristic beds 12 are located east of the Grand Canal in the Sestieres

of San Marco, Castello and Cannaregio with more than 10,000 beds per district. By the beginnings

of the 1950’s the east part of the city had a less concentration of industrial activity, and the

buildings with more historical value also are located in that side, so it can be considered that the

east side of the city is more touristic attractive than the west side. Making a comparison with the

depopulation in the last ten years, two of the Sesiteres with more touristic beds (Castello and San

Marco), are the ones who are losing more population, establishing a relation between

12
The touristic beds are the ones located in hotels, Bed and Breakfasts and Touristic apartments with data of
http://dati.venezia.it/
touristification a population loss. The Sestieres of San Polo and Santa Croce are the one with the

less amount of beds, but by different reasons, San Polo is the smallest one with the less amount of

houses, so the quantity of beds is minor, in the case of Santa Croce an important surface of the

district is occupied by the port and the former industrial area of San Basilio/Santa Marta13.

Figure 7: Concentration of shops and restaurants per Sestiere

Font: Author’s elaboration with data of The Overwhelmed City”: Physical and Social Over-Capacities of Global
Tourism in Venice

The biggest concentration of shops and restaurants in the Historic Center of Venice is located in

the San Marco Sestiere the less populated district and with the most important buildings.

13
The Municipality of Venice has a project (2014) of urban regeneration of the San Basilio/ Santa Marta zone,
including a tram line
According to Dal sovraffollamento all’esodo: popolazione ed occupazione a Venezia nel ’900 of

Giulano Zanon (2000), the Historic Center of Venice and in greater way the San Marco Sestiere is

going to a process called “Disneyization”.

The city's progressive "Disneyization" process continued vigorously, with the continuous

dropouts, closings, and transfers of the original businesses. On the other hand, mask and

pizza shops, ice cream parlors or fashion and clothing boutiques are constantly on the rise.

Finally, after a de facto liberalization of the planned use of buildings, which took place after

the recent approval of the Master Plan (2000), a process of expansion of tourist

accommodation began14.

In the last 70 years Venice passed from a overcrowded functional industrial city, to a city almost

converted into an attraction park, that every year makes more difficult to the inhabitants of Venice

to live in the city due to the touristification of the city.

The adaptation of the architecture to the current reality in Venice

Venice was not designed to be a touristic destination, so over the time the original Venetian

palaces, churches, factories, houses and other buildings began to adapt to the new reality. This part

will analyze the transformation of the most representative buildings of the Venetian industrial era,

to understand how the toursitification and a service-based economy changed the function of its

buildings.

The Port of Venice by the beginnings of the 1950’s was still and industrial and commercial port

but by that times the signs of the future touristification began to appear, nowadays the port serves

14
Giuliano Zanon. “Dal sovraffollamento all esodo: popolazione ed occupazione a Venezia nel 900 of Giulano
Zanon”, Insula, no.4. (2000), https://www.insula.it/images/pdf/resource/quadernipdf/Q04-01.pdf. (Consulted 14-06-
2020)
almost only for touristic porpoise, In 2012 according to the Venice Port Authority 639 cruises

arrived in Venice that year, representing the 3.26% of the GDP of the Municipality15, nevertheless

the presence of big cruises in the island is causing a physical damage to the city, the big waves

generated by this big ships are damaging the old wood piles foundation of the city. A civic

movement launched by the inhabitants of the municipality with the collaboration of experts, is

trying to stop the entry of cruises in Venice, this can be seen as a response of the touristification

of the city by the local population. In the 1960’s the artificial island of Tronchetto16 in the port

area was created to fulfill the parking and docking needs for Venice, because of the especial

conditions of Venice that doesn’t allow the entrance to cars, making parking an important business

in the island, meaning that an entire island was created for touristic reasons.

The Mulino Stucky (1895-1955), a factory of flour and pasta that functioned for over 60 years

giving job to around 500 persons. Today the big factory that decorates the Giudecca Canal is a five

stars Hilton Hotel with 379 rooms17, the original red brick late 19th century eclectic facade was

preserved in order to maintain a continuity and preserve the urban image. The rustic industrial

interior was nor preserved and was replaced with luxury Venetian interiors18. One of the most

iconic elements of the hotel is the hidden roof pool, giving impressive views to its users. Even

though the hotel is a notable architectonic element, the print that around 1000 thousand tourists

caused to the city cannot compensate its economic benefits.

15
Autorità Portuaria di Venezia, L’IMPATTO ECONOMICO DELLA CROCIERISTICA A VENEZIA
(Venice:Autorità Portuaria di Venezia,
2013),https://www.port.venice.it/files/page/130705apvstudiocrocieristica_0.pdf (Consulted 15-06-2020)
16
The island of Tronchetto was builded in 1964 with a surface of 18ha. Manfredo Nicoletti, Continuitá Evoluzione
Architettura, (Venice:Dedalo libri, 1978), p. 86.
17
Hilton Hotels, Hilton Molino Stucky Venice, Hilton Hotels, https://www.hiltonhotels.com/es_XM/italia/hilton-
molino-stucky-venice/
18
Jerzy Charytonowicz and Christianne Falcão, Advances in Human Factors in Architecture, Sustainable Urban
Planning and Infraestrcture, (Washington DC: Springer, 2019), p. 36.
Figure 8. The roof top of Mulino Stucky, on the left side the current view and on the right side the view from 1954
Font: booking.com (2020) and Fondo Mantovani (1954)

Besides the Mulino Stucky, a textile factory opened in 1919 named Fortuny still operates, but with

particular conditions, today the factory produce luxury fabrics with the elaboration techniques of

the early 20th century using the original machines19. Part of the factory was adapted to host a show

room were touristic visits can be scheduled, adapting the factory to the current touristic reality.

Also, the surrounding gardens that are property of the factory can be used for private and

corporative events. The Fortuny factory example shows how the businesses adapt to mass tourism

phenomena that Venice suffers.

Figure 9. View of the factory by the Giudecca Channel

19
The business also produce furniture and lighting
Font: fortuny.com (2016)

The Arsenale of Venice that until the second half of the 1950’s was a functional milirar factory,

with a navy command, today is the building is divided for multiple purposes. Half of the building

is still property of the navy and serves as a military school. Other part of the building serves as

museum, which is one of the biggest Navy museums20. An important part of the old Arsenale

serves as exposition space for the Fondazione la Biennale di Venezia. The Arsenale of Venezia

was an important military installation since the times of the Republic of Venice in the 15th century,

and in the last 70 years the place transformed into an exhibition place of an event that hosts around

615,000 visitors per year21.

Figure 10. The Arsenale, on the left side the current view and on the right side the shipyard view from 1950
Font: Comune di Venezia (2019) and Archivio Fotografico Giacomelli (1928)

The Cotonificio was a big textile factory close to the port of Venice in the Santa Marta area

employing around 1000 workers at its peak, the factory end its activities in 1960, the factory passed

through a transformation process becoming the main building of the Università Iuav di Venezia

with around 4000 students22. The adaptation of the building was big challenge, the interiors of the

20
Città di Venezia, Visitare l’Arsenale, Comune di Venezia, https://www.comune.venezia.it/it/content/visitare-
larsenale
21
La Biennale di Venezia, BIENNALE ARTE 2017, OVER 615,000 VISITORS, Biennale di Venezia,
https://www.labiennale.org/en/news/biennale-arte-2017-over-615000-visitors
22
The IUAV di Venezia is a design university that includes the carreers of Architecture, Panning, Fashion,
Industrial design, among other design related careers. The school is among the best 100 universities according to the
QS World University Ranking.
old factory with big heights were adapted to host two floors of classrooms, with an auditorium and

a cafeteria, the intervention was made with light materials such as drywall. The electric and air

installations are exposed retaining in some kind its industrial past. The exterior red brick facades

is preserved, preserving the original urban image.

Figure 11. The Cotonificio on the right side the current view and on the left side a view from 1925
Font: Armando Cepeda Guedea (2019) and Archivio Fotografico Giacomelli (1925)

Conclusions

Toristification is a reality that affects cities around the world but in Europe and especially in Italy

the phenomena are stronger, the process is not immediate, in the case of Venice the toursitification

process can be traced back to 1950’s. The model of the industrial city of the early 20th is gone and

is replaced by a service-based economy, in the case of Venice the service is tourism. In the last

years many studies have emerged about the effects of touristification on Venice, but in most of the

cases is form the social perspective, this article intends to give an insight of how the touristification

affects form the architectural urban perspective. In the Venice the urban structure has changed,

were the old industrial zones transformed into touristic areas, were the visitors find amusing the
old industrial buildings transformed into hotels, shops or schools. From the architectural

perspective in Venice the old buildings were not destroyed as happens in other cities around the

world because of its architectural value and the touristic potential. The transformation of a

functional industrial city in the early 20th century to a touristic city, has affected the local

population, reducing the public spaces and services, the increase of housing in favor to touristic

accommodation, and the reduction of job opportunities is causing a constant depopulation process.

As a solution the tourism has to be regulated and reduced, and the government must support

housing and job opportunities to attract inhabitants to the city, also the new public spaces and

infrastructure must be created to give adequate live condition to its inhabitants. The cruises must

be banned of Venice because of the physical damage that are causing to the the city, so the big

ships must be relocated to any near port. The touristic housing commonly known as B&Bs also

must be regulated.

Tourism is an activity that produces millions of euros in Venice and creates jobs, but the damages

of this activity must be considered, and the preservation of the city must come first.

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