The Ideatorio, a collaboration between the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Science et Cité and the Istituto scolastico della Città di Lugano, opened its doors in September 2019 intending to promote scientific culture and facilitate dialogue between science and society. During the week, it welcomes schools from all over Italian-speaking Switzerland, while on weekends it opens to the public with a planetarium and several workshops, allowing visitors to explore and marvel at the scientific world around us.

The Ideatorio has a 20-year history, having previously had another location, and is distinguished by a wide range of activities in the area. Among them, the traveling planetarium brings the experience directly to schools, while the “House of Sustainability” in Airolo represents a second location that also houses a planetarium. They regularly collaborate with local research institutes and organize exhibitions in collaboration with other associations, such as IRSOL in Locarno, which currently has an exhibition dedicated to the sun.

Each year, L’Ideatorio welcomes more than 300 school classes, confirming it as a reference point for science outreach and education throughout the region.

📷 portrait: Alessio, Ottavia, Valentina, Giulia, Maurizio