A Veranda of Light. The reopening of the Peggy Guggenheim Café made possible by the support of important Italian brands and manufacturers.
June 2014. The renovated Museum Café of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection reopens its doors to welcome visitors of the museum with a unique place to relax.
Nestled on the interior façade of Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, the veranda of the Peggy Guggenheim Café looks out onto the museum gardens and the palazzo that was Peggy Guggenheim's home for 30 years, and that was transformed, according to her wishes, into one of the most precious venues dedicated to 20th century art.
Hangar Design Group conceived, designed and followed the realization of the refurbishment of the café. The goal was to create a relaxing, contemporary space within the museum, all in keeping with and in memory of Peggy Guggenheim’s spirit. The focus was on natural light, illuminating the café via the garden and emphasized by a simple, soft and linear design. Against the white backdrop of the walls, the finely designed furnishing by Arclinea amplify the luminous, light space.
Important contributions to the Peggy Guggenheim Café were also made by Mapei and Hausbrandt. Arclinea, Hangar Design Group, Hausbrandt, and Mapei are part of Intrapresæ Collezione Guggenheim, a group of companies that share a passion for art, believe in cultural communication as a modern form of company communication, and have loyally supported the programs of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection over the years.
At the center of the café is the “Peggy” chandelier, designed specifically for this space by Hangar Design Group and created by Vistosi. The perfect balance of the chandelier, around its double axis, is created by a series of blown glass and metal spheres that speak of a modernist approach to space—where light is the focal point—and provide a rational and elegant approach to interpret the black and white polarity.
Large photographic portraits of Peggy Guggenheim hung on the walls, thus offering visitors an intimate perspective of the great collector’s life and home, where she lived from 1948 until her death in 1979. These photographs are a tribute to Peggy Guggenheim's charisma and to her influence on the history of 20th century art.
Project: Museum Café of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Architect: Hangar Design Group
Companies: Arclinea, Mapei, Hausbrandt, Vistosi
Opening: June 2014