Prada and UNESCO Launch Ocean Literacy Centre in Venice to Expand SEA BEYOND Initiative
The SEA BEYOND initiative from Prada Group and UNESCO-IOC has entered a new phase with the opening of Italy’s first Ocean Literacy Centre, located on San Servolo Island in Venice. Designed to deepen public understanding of humanity’s relationship with the ocean, the new centre offers a dynamic and interactive educational space that merges environmental awareness with digital storytelling and immersive technology.
This new cultural landmark was co-developed by the Prada Group and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, with design by CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati. Positioned in what is described as a “transition ecosystem” between sea, land, and urban life, the centre builds on the SEA BEYOND program’s foundation of raising ocean sustainability awareness, particularly among younger generations.
Open to students, researchers, residents, and tourists alike, the Ocean Literacy Centre spans three exhibition rooms that guide visitors from a global understanding of the ocean to a more personal perspective. Interactive tools and data visualizations—developed in collaboration with the CMCC Foundation, the National Research Council (CNR), and Dotdotdot—highlight real-time and historical insights on ocean currents, salinity, marine life migration, and human shipping routes.
This expansion underscores a long-standing partnership between Prada and UNESCO, which began in 2019. The centre also supports SEA BEYOND’s ongoing local efforts, including early childhood outdoor education projects like the “Kindergarten of the Lagoon.” In addition to exhibitions, the space will host workshops and programs designed to encourage intergenerational and cross-disciplinary dialogue around ocean stewardship.
With Venice’s fragile ecosystem as a backdrop, the centre is also positioned as a model for future-facing environmental education. By connecting scientific research with sensory learning experiences, the Ocean Literacy Centre aims to spark lasting public engagement—and to inspire more thoughtful, informed relationships with our planet’s most vital resource.
