In the heart of Florence, inside one of the city’s most outstanding examples of Baroque architecture, the San Firenze Monumental Complex, comes to life the new ABF GlobaLAB, the Andrea Bocelli Foundation’s multipurpose center dedicated to education, creativity and social innovation.

The project for the restoration and re-functionalization of the second floor of the complex was entrusted to the Archea Associati studio, under the artistic direction of architect Marco Casamonti, who oversaw the entire design process, from the initial concept to the executive realization. An intervention entirely donated to the Foundation, which testifies to an important act of cultural and civic responsibility in favor of the protection and enhancement of historical heritage.

The architectural intervention has been able to combine the rigor of conservative restoration with the ability to innovate, redefining the existing spaces according to criteria of functional flexibility and equipping them with advanced technological systems, in full compliance with the most up-to-date standards in safety, accessibility and environmental sustainability.

The environments of the new ABF GlobaLAB have been designed to host, throughout the year, a plurality of educational and cultural initiatives: training courses, workshops, conferences, creative laboratories and hybrid events that can be enjoyed both in presence and remotely, thanks to a technological infrastructure that guarantees wide versatility of use.

The operation is fully in line with the vision of the Andrea Bocelli Foundation, which has been committed for years to promoting educational projects that promote access to training and culture as tools for the emancipation and growth of new generations. In this sense, the functional recovery of the second floor of the San Firenze Complex represents not only an important action to protect the city’s architectural heritage, but also a concrete investment for the benefit of the community, capable of generating lasting social value.

Through ABF GlobaLAB, the Complex of St. Florence further strengthens its identity as a living and open place, where history, culture and innovation meet, in a constant dialogue between past and future, at the service of the territory and its citizens.