Date

08 May 2024

IED Firenze's new Digital and Visual Arts hub to create digital labs, project rooms, and educational areas, along with two large spaces reserved for exhibitions, events, and workshops.

IED has won the City of Florence's tender for the Teatro dell’Oriuolo, which had been closed for almost 30 years and underwent a complex restoration.

Yesterday Mayor Dario Nardella, in the presence of the Public Works Councilor Elisabetta Meucci and the Councilor for Non-Residential Heritage Federica Giuliani, handed over the keys to Danilo Venturi, the Director of IED Firenze.

This marks the birth of the Digital and Visual Arts Hub, the first of its kind in Italy for training and integration with the city. Following restoration efforts, the Teatro dell’Oriuolo has tripled its unbuilt area to the benefit of green spaces and open areas through the demolition of 2,200 cubic meters, mainly in the former auditorium area, and now includes several large, undivided rooms on the ground floor of Palazzo Bastogi, totaling 500 square meters.

IED will establish a hub dedicated to the sharing and understanding of Digital and Visual Arts, building on a solid educational experience in the fields of contemporary arts and design, as well as fashion and communication, supported by numerous international professionals and mentors. It will be a place of interdisciplinary and intercultural exchange where theory meets practical experimentation, embodied in exhibition spaces, while preserving the site’s original public vocation.

Divided into two main functional areas, educational and exhibition, plus a garden, the new Hub plans to create digital labs, project rooms, and educational areas, along with two large spaces reserved for exhibitions, events, and workshops.

The activity program will be linked to the educational progress of multimedia courses (Graphic Design, Illustration, Design for Communication, Content Creation and Publishing) and art system courses (Museum Education, Curatorial Practice and Arts Management), featuring contemporary art exhibitions and workshops led by emerging artists. Additional initiatives will coincide with the Pitti Uomo fashion event. The space will also host other events in collaboration with the city, as part of an ongoing educational and professional exchange with IED, responding to a context of strong internationalization and locally rooted experiences. 

You may be interested in:

18 February 2026

Project Week 2026 with Sammontana Across Fashion, Design and Visual Arts

From February 23 to 27, IED Firenze's Project Week is back: a week of creative design that brings students face to face with the real world of business.

12 February 2026

Sabato De Sarno supports education: two Scholarships at IED Firenze

Sabato De Sarno has chosen to support education at IED Firenze through two scholarships dedicated to the First-Level Academic Diploma (DAPL) in Fashion Design.

29 January 2026

An exhibition on the value of resources and collective action

A group exhibition exploring the value of environmental resources and the role of collective action in shaping a sustainable future. The project stems from a collaboration between IED Firenze and Gruppo Plures.

16 January 2026

Fashion and Sustainability: a Conversation with Matteo Ward and Sara Sozzani Maino

IED Firenze hosted a conversation with Matteo Ward and Sara Sozzani Maino that invited reflection on the role of sustainability within the contemporary fashion system, bringing together different perspectives.

18 December 2025

New April intake for Master’s Programs in Italy

Starting April 2026, IED launches new Fashion Masters in English. An international, hands-on path designed to build the skills demanded by the global fashion industry.

14 October 2025

New January intake for Undergraduate Programmes in Italy

Fashion, Design, Communication, Visual Arts and Cinema: your creative journey starts here

07 October 2025

Repeat the Action at ModaLisboa

On 30 September 2025, the Italian Embassy in Lisbon hosted a Fashion Show organized by IED and ModaLisboa to present selected looks by 12 IED Network designers

06 October 2025

IED Firenze kicks off the new academic year with a focus on creativity and social responsibility

IED Firenze kicks off the new academic year with three days of talks and workshops on design, accessibility, and new perspectives.

02 September 2025

A podcast weaving memory and rebirth within "The Rose That Grew From Concrete"

The students of the Master in Museum Education have created Dominae, a three-episode podcast accompanying the exhibition "The Rose That Grew From Concrete" at Museo Sant’Orsola in Florence