Prada opens Sea Beyond, a centre for ocean literacy in Venice

Sea Beyond Centre by Prada Group — Sea Beyond Ocean Literacy Centre in Venice

(Image credit: Courtesy of Prada)

Though Prada is, understandably so, mainly known for its clothing since Miuccia Prada took the helm of her family company in 1978, it has always had a robust presence in the cultural sphere. Fondazione Prada, the brand’s art and cultural institution, was founded in 1993 and expanded in 2011 and 2015, with the openings of its Venice and Milan galleries. But more recently, Prada has begun to position itself as a patron of science and the environment, as evidenced by the opening of the Sea Beyond Ocean Literacy Centre in collaboration with UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission UNESCO (UNESCO-IOC), which was unveiled last week on the island of San Servolo in the Venetian lagoon.

Architect Carlo Ratti and creative studio Dotdotdot configure Prada’s new Ocean Literacy Centre

Sea Beyond Ocean Literacy Centre in Venice

‘The opening of the Sea Beyond Ocean Centre here in San Servolo marks an important milestone in our journey towards restoring our relationship with the ocean,’ says Francesco Santoro, senior programme officer at UNESCO-IOC. ‘This centre is more than just the physical space for hands-on ocean education and awareness-raising activities. It's a symbol of the growing level of recognition of ocean literacy as a discipline and a practice.’

The ground floor space was designed by the architect Carlo Ratti, who is also the curator of the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale. The building, which looks out over Venice’s placid lagoon waters, incorporates reused timber and circular solutions in the design, including a closed-loop water filtration system to keep consumption to a minimum. Ratti chose a palette of blues throughout the interiors to evoke the feeling of ‘water entering inside,’ he says.

‘You might want to look at the ground in detail,’ he added. ‘Because the ground looks like concrete but is made with shells from the ocean.’

Arranged in an enfilade of rooms, each space is dedicated to the visualisation of different kinds of ocean-related data, conceived by the Milan-based creative studio Dotdotdot. The first two installations, which take the form of interactive maps – one depicting a Spilhaus Projection of global oceans and the other zoomed into the Venetian lagoon – illustrate scientific data via dynamic projections that include the change in water temperature, salinity levels and the flow of currents throughout the year. The final room is dedicated to an interactive game for children and school groups, who will be the centre’s main audience.

Venice as the site of the centre was a natural choice. The city, famously vulnerable to the threats of rising oceans, has long been a site of oceanic research – most notably, the MOSE system, a retractable barrier that shields the fragile city from incoming sea surges and was completed in 2020. It’s also a living laboratory for studying the delicate balance between human settlement and marine ecosystems – a tension that will only intensify in the coming decades.

‘It all started with the idea of having a positive impact on society and giving back to the environment,’ said Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group’s head of corporate social responsibility. ‘Which is why starting this journey with [UNESCO-IOC] was a natural choice. We have to speak to and educate future generations – and this is only the beginning of a very long journey.’

The Sea Beyond Ocean Literacy Centre is open to visitors on Tuesday and Friday from 10am to 12pm and from 3pm to 5pm

prada.com

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Laura May Todd, Wallpaper's Milan Editor, based in the city, is a Canadian-born journalist covering design, architecture and style. She regularly contributes to a range of international publications, including T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, Azure and Sight Unseen, and is about to publish a book on Italian interiors.