Italian studio Formafantasma has created Ocean & Climate Village, an exhibition at fashion brand Prada's Luna Rossa base in Cagliari, Sardinia, that uses "design as an educational tool" to show the importance of the ocean.

The show, which Prada describes as a "travelling science exhibition", was developed by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) together with Prada as part of the brand's educational Sea Beyond project.

Formafantasma created a lightweight, modular design for the Ocean & Climate Village, using a disassemblable and reusable aluminium-and-wood structure that allows it to be moved after it has finished its stint at the Luna Rossa base.

The base, which is used by Prada's sailboat racing syndicate Luna Rossa, is located right by the ocean in Sardinia, where the exhibition will be open to the public until 15 October.

The aim of the show, which is divided into four sections – One Ocean, The Climate Engine, Biodiversity and Ocean Anomalies – was to help visitors learn about the connections between biological, climatic and geological processes to better understand the ocean's impact on our environment.

Formafantasma worked with a craftsman from a natural history museum in Italy to create striking lifelike animals for the exhibition, including a blue crab and a turtle.

As the exhibition is open to visitors of all ages, it was important to create a design that could be understood by both children and adults.

"Sometimes the concepts [on show] are very abstract for us – I could tell you data, I could show you graphs and a number of scientific studies, but especially for lay people, it's important to find the hooks," senior programme officer of the IOC Francesca Santoro told Dezeen at the opening of the event.

"I guess you will always remember this because it's beautiful; it makes [the information] look really nice," she continued. "The idea was to use design as an educational tool and as a way to attract people's attention."

Formafantasma also designed the space on multiple levels to make it more engaging for kids, and created a leaflet that explains words such as CO2 and biodiversity.

The studio has previously designed a picture book about the environment for children and was appointed ecology advisor for the Serpentine Galleries earlier this year.

The photography is courtesy of Prada Group.

Ocean & Climate Village will be on display at Luna Rossa base, Cagliari, Sardinia, from 10 to 15 October 2026. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.