‘Museo de Acqua Alta,’ celebrates water’s central role in Venice’s culture and urban environment, emphasizing the symbiosis between the city and the lagoon by restoring the inlet on the southeastern side of Isla di San Giorgio Maggiore to a historic marshland.

Museo de Acqua Alta envelops an existing, unused pool building on Isla di San Giorgio Maggiore. This project addresses the facade’s current deterioration from water with new extensions made from local limestone to wrap around the building.

The museum’s exhibitions trace the history of the Venetian lagoon, addressing the impact of human settlements and transportation, acknowledging the return of aquatic life in 2020, and culminating in an understanding of how acqua alta affects the built environment. Water fissures connect the lagoon to the interior, acting as an organizational feature of the museum exhibitions.

The museum educates visitors on the importance of the lagoon’s natural ecosystem, culminating in a multi-sensory culinary experience by creating a connection between the restored marshland and kitchen, where locally sourced algae and oysters are displayed and prepared for visitors, educating them on the lagoon’s usage as a food source pre-settlement to now.