About
The SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre
Discover the SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre, a unique space where science, education, culture, and innovation come together to inspire a deeper connection with the Ocean and its vital role in sustaining life on Earth.
The SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre is a dynamic space located on San Servolo Island, in the Venetian Lagoon. Co‑designed by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO and CRA – Carlo Ratti Associati, it was inaugurated in 2025 by the Prada Group and the IOC of UNESCO. The Centre is dedicated to fostering knowledge and understanding of the Ocean and to raising awareness of its fundamental role in sustaining life on Earth.
The initiative is promoted within SEA BEYOND, the project by Prada Group conducted in partnership with UNESCO since 2019 and dedicated to raising awareness of sustainability and ocean preservation, particularly among younger generations.
Conceived as an interactive and accessible international space, the Centre invites people to rediscover their connection with the Ocean through immersive education, transdisciplinary collaboration, and innovative design. It is a place where education, science, culture, and community naturally converge, nurturing environmental responsibility and inspiring an ocean‑literate citizenship ready to shape a more sustainable future for our planet.
Objective and SGDs
The SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre is dedicated to strengthening knowledge of marine ecosystems and the relationship between humans and the Ocean. Anchored in the objectives of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030), it serves as a local-to-global model, transforming scientific knowledge into public understanding and action. It also supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda, with particular reference to SDG 14 “Life Below Water”.
PRIMARY SDG
KEY SUPPORTING SDGs
The location
The SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre is located on San Servolo Island, in the heart of the Venetian Lagoon, a unique environment where nature, culture, and human life have coexisted and evolved over centuries. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, part of the Natura 2000 network, and protected under the Ramsar Convention, the Lagoon is a globally significant ecosystem and an extraordinary example of the close relationship between people and the marine environment.
Just a ten-minute boat ride from piazza S.Marco, San Servolo Island combines a central location with a peaceful and distinctive atmosphere. With a history spanning more than a thousand years, the island has long been a place of learning, care, and cultural exchange. Since its restoration in the 1990s, it has become an international centre for education, research, sustainability, and public engagement, while maintaining a strong connection to the unique environment of the Venetian Lagoon.
The SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre is directly accessible from the island's historic park. Designed as a sequence of three interconnected spaces, the Centre offers a seamless and immersive visitor experience, and large openings towards both the park and the Lagoon create a continuous dialogue between the exhibition spaces and the surrounding landscape.
A journey through scales
The visit is designed as a journey across different scales: from the vastness of the ocean to the biodiversity of the Venetian Lagoon, and finally to the actions that each of us can take in our daily lives.
The experience unfolds through three main spaces.
