The building of Punta della Dogana, an area of nearly 5,000 square meters is triangular.

It has frontage on the Grand Canal and the Giudecca Canal, both 105 meters long, and the base of the triangle has a length of 75 meters. Along these fronts the facades of Punta della Dogana are pierced by twenty monumental gates. Its inner structure is divided into nine halls arranged transversely, each with an average width of ten meters and a beam height of seven meters.

On the exterior, the balconies of the belvedere are 9 meters high and the tower dominated by Fortune, at the tip of Dorsoduro, rises 28 meters. The project conceived by architect Tadao Ando included restoration work at several levels:

1. Protection against water
2. Structural consolidation and restoration of the masonry
3. Technological galleries and electrical systems
4. Architectural concrete elements
5. The floors
6. Exterior frames
7. The roofing
8. The sculpture group

80% of the perimeter of Punta della Dogana borders on the water of the Lagoon; in addition, it was not possible to count on a sufficient site area adjoining the building. Consequently, the site logistics were entirely carried out via water. A temporary port, jobsite areas built on piles, and the use of barges and pontoons made it possible to handle over 10,000 tons of different materials, with over 2,000 trips from the shore.

The project, skillfully organised by the Dottor Group (www.dottorgroup.com),  mobilized an average of 120 workers for a total 300,000 hours worked,  with the electrical equipment of Fiel and the mechanical equipment of the company Fiorin. A canteen specifically built on piles was put at the workers’ disposal. Medical examinations, free check-ups and individual information meetings characterized the atmosphere of a site which strove after quality and safety. In the end, only a single minor accident occurred, due to a slip: this is an exceptional record.