The New Horizon

Fondazione Prada is a contemporary art institution located in Milan, Italy. The foundation was established in 1993 by Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli and has since become one of the world’s leading cultural institutions, hosting exhibitions and events featuring some of the most prominent artists and designers in the world. The project utilizes optical fibers to articulate the circulation in the space. The optical fibers are lighted from the daylight that an outer unit receives throughout the day. This allows the spaces lit by sunlight to remain naturally lit, while the spaces with less daylight have lights that are connected to the same channel as the optical fibers. This system helps save energy throughout the day by using natural light whenever possible and only supplementing with artificial light when needed. One of the most significant features of the project is the use of open spaces in between the structures throughout the site. These open spaces create space for good daylight flushing into the structures, which helps to maximize the use of natural light. The design uses these daylight factors to provide smart lighting, which in turn saves energy. The design process was iterative and involved several rounds of feedback and testing. Data from the daylight illuminance factors was used to inform design decisions, and the project was refined to optimize the use of natural light while maintaining a visually appealing and comfortable interior environment.