Dialogue between History and Contemporaneity: An Interview with Architect Mario Bellavite on Residenze San Marco

A few weeks ago, we published an article about the Residenze San Marco project in Verona, discovering a high-level intervention capable of bringing together the ancient soul of the city with the most modern needs of contemporary living.

Fascinated by the historical depth of this site — which ranges from Roman structures in the forum area to the 1930s facade — we wanted to meet the architect Mario Bellavite. In this interview, the designer tells us about the challenge of transforming centuries of urban stratification into a timeless quality of living, revealing suggestive background details such as the discovery of ancient medieval alleys and the building’s link with Veronese industrial history.

Architect Bellavite, the Residenze San Marco span many centuries of history: from medieval walls to the 1930s facade, down to the underground spaces that, during excavations, reach the Roman structures of the forum area. What was the most complex challenge in creating a dialogue between this historical depth and contemporary living?

In the historic center of Verona, time remains beneath our feet. The excavations at Residenze San Marco brought to light underground environments and masonry belonging to the great urban transformation started in the Augustan age in the Forum area. In this sector of the city, the system of substructures was established to support the monumental level connected to the temple dedicated to the imperial deities. The project was born from this awareness: architecture must make the city’s time legible and transform this stratification into a quality of living.

The facade belongs to the Verona of the 1930s. How did you approach the restoration?

The facade tells the story of a specific season of Veronese architecture. The restoration worked on materials and proportions to restore the original quality of the composition. The contemporary intervention moves alongside this presence with discretion and construction precision, creating continuity between the historic city and today’s way of living.

Did any unexpected discoveries emerge during the work?

During the excavations, a portion of stone paving re-emerged that constituted the walkway of a small medieval alley between two buildings. This fragment of the city has been left visible on the basement floor, near the elevator, protected by a glass surface. It is a simple but very eloquent detail: it clearly tells how Verona was built slowly over the centuries.

The underground spaces of the building are particularly evocative. What role do they play in the project?

The cellars are among the most fascinating rooms in the building: brick vaults, deep masonry, and grazing light that reveals the material of the walls. The original laboratory of Melegatti pandoro was also located in these spaces. It is a surprising memory of the city: under the houses of the historic center, housing, work, and artisanal production coexisted.

How are contemporary technologies integrated into such a delicate historic building?

Technology reaches its maturity when it becomes invisible. High energy efficiency systems, ventilation, and environmental control systems have been integrated into the structure of the building with great precision. Those who live there perceive light, air, comfort, and silence.

Residenze San Marco houses six residences. How did you build the living experience?

The homes have different atmospheres: some dialogue with the small square, others with the internal courtyards. The terraces have become a central part of the project. They function as outdoor rooms in the heart of the historic city: places of light and daily life that also give breathing space back to the most compact urban fabric.

In your work, you have often operated on complex historical contexts in Verona – from the Arena to churches and historic buildings in the city. How have these experiences influenced the Residenze San Marco project?

Working in monumental contexts teaches a fundamental discipline: measure. Contemporary architecture finds strength when it dialogues with what already exists and makes the structure of the city clearer. Residenze San Marco was born from this same attention to the long life of buildings and the continuity of the urban fabric.

How do you find the right balance between contemporary intervention and historical memory?

The project reaches its balance when the history of the building becomes legible again. Contemporary architecture enters with precision and measure and strengthens the legibility of the city.

Does returning housing to the historic center also have a broader urban meaning?

Returning housing to the historic center means restoring urban life. Historic cities thrive when they continue to be inhabited and walked through every day.

How do you imagine the future of the recovery of historic centers?

The future of the European city passes through the intelligent recovery of existing buildings. Energy quality, environmental comfort, and attention to materials today allow the historical heritage to be improved with great effectiveness.

You often work on buildings destined to last for centuries. How do you live with this responsibility?

Architecture always works within the long time of the city. Every project enters a story that exists before us and will continue after us.

Can the historic center dialogue with the model of the fifteen-minute city?

The historic center naturally possesses this urban structure. Services, public spaces, and relationships develop within walking distance. This proximity represents a great urban quality.

How much does well-being count in contemporary living spaces?

The quality of space profoundly influences people’s lives. Natural light, air quality, proportions, and authentic materials build environments that promote balance and serenity.

How do you interpret the concept of luxury in living today?

The word luxury today requires some attention. In a time that calls for sobriety and responsibility towards resources, the value of architecture is measured instead by the quality of the spaces and their ability to improve daily life. Natural light, silence, balanced proportions, clean air, and authentic materials build an environment that accompanies people’s lives with discretion. Rather than luxury, I would speak of the quality of living: a form of wealth that is not exhibited but is perceived every day.

Any advice for young architects?

My Professor Luigi Caccia Dominioni used to say: “I hate buildings that are only to be photographed. Architecture must create spaces to be lived in”. It is a lesson that is still relevant today: architecture finds its meaning when it accompanies people’s lives.