28/06/2026
Couple of years ago when we were in Treviso, we missed visiting Tomba Brion, one of Carlo Scarpa’s most important projects, at less than an hour from the city.
The project was commissioned by Onorina Brion in memory of her husband, Giuseppe Brion, the founder of Brionvega. Scarpa worked on it from 1968 until 1978, the year he died.
Tomba Brion spans almost 2,200 square meters and includes an enclosing concrete wall, gardens, reflecting pools, a chapel, family burial areas and a meditation pavilion. Every path, opening and change in level was carefully considered. The experience changes as you move through the site, with each space revealing a different relationship between architecture, landscape and light.
Water appears throughout the project. Scarpa grew up in Venice, and his understanding of water became part of the architecture. The reflecting pools change with the light, mirror the surrounding structures and connect the buildings with the landscape.
One of the most recognizable details is the pair of intersecting circles found across the site. They reference the *vesica piscis*, a geometric form associated with union and continuity, and became one of Scarpa’s signature motifs.
Carlo Scarpa remains one of our favorite designers and architects.
Next time we’re in northern Italy, Tomba Brion will be our first stop, and now, maybe yours too.