Scuola della Misericordia

Scuola della Misericordia 

Site 2, located along Fondementa De La Misericordia, on the northern edge of Venice,

 has a unique blend of surrounding programs with both historical and modern importance.

The most historically prominent feature of the site is the Scuola Grande Della Misericordia; 

which was a school (brotherhood) of Battuti of Venice active from 1308 to 1806. 

Erected in 1310, it was extended several times until it reached it's gothic appearance towards the middle of the 15th century. Not long after, the school decided to move into larger premises beyond the Rio, while this building received the Art of Silk Weavers until 1806.

This building is where the street derives its name

The New Scuola Grande Della Misericordia sits across the canal from the old school, 

was designed by Jacopo Sansovino (which could instead have been asked to continue work already 

set by others). The architect worked on it from 1534 , and the work continued until 1583 , 

when it intervened to inaugurate the Doge Nicolo del Ponte and currently serves as a sports venue and recreational auditorium. 

The third adjoining feature of the site is the Liceo M. Foscarini High School, the oldest high school in Venice, which is currently located in a wing from the foundation of the former convent of Santa Caterina. The remaining portion houses the boarding school, middle school and primary school. 

The bridge proposition is to join these three cultural establishments, with materiality being primarily red brick with a unifier that may contain classrooms or additional schooling space.  The area is hardly traveled by tourists, making the site almost completely local in a cultural sense.