Work Begins on the Padiglione Brion in San Vito d’Altivole (Treviso)

A masterpiece of twentieth-century architecture and the final work of the great architect Carlo Scarpa (Venice 1906 – Sendai 1978), the Brion Memorial was built between 1970 and 1978. The memorial is the tomb of the Brion family, commissioned in 1969 by Onorina Tomasin Brion in memory of her recently deceased husband, the entrepreneur Giuseppe Brion.

The Memorial is a monument that fully expresses Carlo Scarpa’s genius—Scarpa himself is buried here alongside his wife—but it is also a family cemetery, accessible from the small village graveyard. It is a place of silence, peace and harmony, imbued with a profound sense of the sacred that naturally invites reflection from all who visit.

Internationally renowned and already visited by thousands of people—particularly students and architecture enthusiasts—the Brion Memorial was donated to FAI in 2022 by the Brion family’s son, Ennio, and his sister Donatella, so that the Foundation could ensure its conservation, management and enhancement.

In recent years, thanks to FAI’s stewardship, the number of visitors has grown significantly, rising from 17,000 to 45,000 in 2025.

A Visitor Centre for the Memoriale Brion

To provide appropriate services for the increasing number of visitors, FAI has decided to create a nearby pavilion—named after Ennio Brion—which will serve as the starting point for visits and an introduction to the site.

The pavilion will host reception services and cultural activities that cannot take place within the Memorial itself, due to the contemplative nature of the site.

To make this possible, FAI has purchased a private property located at the beginning of the cypress-lined path that historically leads to the monumental cemetery. This choice allows the original access route—aligned with the entrance to the Memorial—to be restored and enhanced.

The Pavilion Project

The design of the Brion Pavilion has been entrusted by FAI to AMDL CIRCLE, the architectural studio founded by renowned contemporary architect Michele De Lucchi.

The project focuses on transforming this ordinary building into a beautiful, modern and functional space, demonstrating how it is possible to intervene with sensitivity, expertise and creativity without demolition or additional land consumption.

Developed in collaboration with landscape architect Camilla Zanarotti and the engineering firm Contec Ingegneria, the project aims not only to redesign the exterior of the building but also to reorganise the interiors across three levels.

These new spaces will support FAI’s management and enhancement of the site and will include:

• a ticket office with a shop for welcoming visitors

• a refreshment area

• educational rooms equipped for workshops and activities for schools and universities

• a space featuring an immersive video dedicated to the history of the Memorial and its protagonists

• an outdoor “theatre” for cultural events

• a large garden overlooking the countryside and the cypress-lined avenue that leads directly to the cemetery and the Memoriale Brion