Some buildings are created to accommodate functions. Others are created to embody a vision. Inaugurated in June 2025 in Varano de’ Melegari, the new home of the Caterina Dallara Foundation belongs to the latter category.
Established in 2021 to promote art, culture and social inclusion, the Foundation has gradually become a point of reference for the local community. Its work focuses particularly on tackling educational poverty and creating new opportunities for people and the surrounding area.
The new headquarters translates these values into a tangible space where architecture, design and civic commitment come together. It is a place designed to welcome people, build connections and encourage participation, with every element helping to create an open, accessible and contemporary atmosphere.
In a project so deeply connected with people, light also takes on a special meaning. It does more than make the interiors visible: it helps define their character, gently accompanying everyday activities and reinforcing the Foundation’s identity.
Designing the lighting for a place devoted to culture and inclusion means finding a subtle balance between functionality, comfort and aesthetic quality.
The interiors must accommodate different activities while always maintaining pleasant, uniform light. At the same time, the lighting must engage with the architecture without dominating it, respecting the refined, essential language of the spaces.
The real challenge was therefore not simply to achieve the required illuminance levels, but to create a luminous presence capable of accompanying people naturally. A discreet light, free from glare and able to enhance surfaces without creating excessive contrast.
In a building created to encourage encounters and participation, visual comfort becomes an integral part of the experience. Every lighting decision must help make the space more welcoming, supporting extended use and the different activities hosted by the Foundation.
To meet these requirements, 3F Solo L was selected. Developed in collaboration withAtelier(s) Alfonso Femia / AF*Design, the luminaire is characterised by an essential and distinctive formal language.
At the heart of the product is its distinctive inverted “U” lens, made from extruded polycarbonate and featuring a ribbed texture along its entire profile. The smooth outer surface and the frosted inner surface work together to distribute light softly, continuously and uniformly.
This configuration effectively illuminates working surfaces while maintaining a high level of visual comfort. Its light distribution also allows greater spacing between luminaires, contributing to a more orderly composition and cleaner architectural integration.
Glare control and the reduction of the UGR value make the spaces pleasant even during prolonged use. The technology is not displayed for its own sake, but integrated into the form of the luminaire, allowing the quality of light to express its value.
Inside the Caterina Dallara Foundation, light accompanies people without ever becoming intrusive.
Its uniform distribution makes the spaces immediately legible, while the absence of glare encourages a relaxed and natural perception of the environment. Surfaces are enhanced with balance, and the linear design of 3F Solo L integrates discreetly into the architecture.
In a place devoted to encounters, culture and inclusion, this balance takes on even greater importance. Good lighting helps create an atmosphere in which people can feel at ease, take part in activities and experience the spaces without perceptual barriers.
Light thus becomes part of the Foundation’s message: a gentle yet tangible presence capable of accompanying every experience and making the space more open, human and shared.
The project for the new Caterina Dallara Foundation headquarters shows how architecture, design and lighting can work together to give shape to a broader vision.
The choice of 3F Solo L made it possible to combine aesthetic quality, visual comfort and lighting performance while remaining deeply consistent with the values expressed by the Foundation.
For 3F Filippi, taking part in this project means contributing to a space that places culture, the local community and people at its heart. A place where light is not merely a technical solution, but becomes part of a journey towards the future.
Because every great project begins with an idea, but truly comes to life when it finds a light capable of interpreting its values.
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