Fabrica is a communication research center based in Treviso, Italy. Part of the Benetton Group, it was established in 1994 by Luciano Benetton and Oliviero Toscani, and inspired by the conviction that communication, in all its applications, must be a vehicle of conscious social change. Set in a 17th-century villa, restored and expanded by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, Fabrica offers young people from around the world one-year scholarships to partake in collaborative research in the arenas of design, visual communication, photography, interaction, video, music, and journalism. Program partners include a variety of commercial groups, public institutions, non-profit organizations, and cultural bodies. Fabrica organizes numerous workshops, often inviting internationally renowned architects, musicians, historians, designers, artists, art directors, and sociologists to share their work and expertise. The program’s young designers, specifically, work on innovative projects in the realms of product design, fashion, interiors, and industrial design.
In addition to its main Treviso location, Fabrica has outposts (called Fabrica Features) in Bologna, Italy and Lisbon, Portugal. These venues are dedicated meeting spaces designed to foster exchange between local and foreign artists as well as international brands.
Notable Fabrica alumni and collaborators include the likes of Martino Gamper, Jaime Hayon, Gala Fernández, Margaux Keller, David Raffoul, and Sam Baron, who has worked as director of the institution’s design department since 2006.
