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Having passed through the hands of prestigious families like the Medici, the Palazzo Settimanni building has now been restored to serve as Gucci's historical archive.
Outside the Palazzo Settimanni building.
Located on a more than 600-year-old royal street in Florence, Italy, the Palazzo Settimanni came into Gucci's possession in 1953. Over the years, the building has been used as a workshop, factory, showroom, and now it has been repurposed under the direction of the talented Creative Director Alessandro Michele.
Michele brings a new story to the building, which will now be a place to reflect on Gucci's tumultuous history.
Gucci's creative director, Alessandro Michele.
“Palazzo Settimanni has shed its modern architectural framework; instead, we will restore traditional values so that exploring the building is like a journey back in time. I want to give Palazzo a fairytale feel, transforming the building's doors into another dimension, dreamy and ancient. The building gives visitors the feeling of stepping into Gucci's sacred land,” Michele used her poetic vocabulary to explain the idea of “renovating” the building.
"Renovation" is not an appropriate word to describe the process of restoring the legendary building. Michele wanted to return the building to its original values in a way that would be suitable for the works on display.
The building's framework will be in the style of the 19th century, employing 18th-century optical techniques, embellished with 17th-century frescoes and adorned with architectural elements from previous centuries. Everything is meticulously calculated, designed, and arranged with absolute sophistication.
The five-story building is divided into smaller spaces with different themes based on the items on display. For example, the basement is divided into three halls: “Radura” (ceramics and household appliances), “Herbarium” (still life), and “Maison de L'Amour” (entertainment).
The ground floor will showcase vintage handbags, suitcases, small leather items, and jewelry from various eras. The second floor will honor textiles with scarves and dresses. Similarly, the upper floors will be themed displays.
During the building's restoration, Michele collaborated with Valeries Steele, Director of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, to study the layout and management of the space.
"No longer a dusty, dilapidated attic, the archive will become a palace of memories, showcasing the intellectual and inspirational values of designers of the past. The layout reflects the evolution of fashion through different periods while still clearly displaying Gucci's unique, brand-defining characteristics. We want to develop archives to preserve a tangible cultural heritage for the present and the future," Steele stated.
