The Dallara Academy is an educational and exhibition centre created to share the technical expertise developed by Dallara over more than 50 years and to introduce visitors to the company’s history and cars. Opened on September 21, 2018, in Varano de’ Melegari near Parma, it occupies about 5,500 m². Designed according to Giampaolo Dallara’s vision, the building features two floors connected by a broad, walkable glass spiral ramp. The ground floor hosts reception areas and school workshops, while the upper level contains the MUNER university training spaces and a 350-seat auditorium for conferences and events. Its distinctive architecture, conceived as a “harmonious assembly of mechanical parts”, includes a curved wall with a horizon-level glass cut and three cones housing circulation elements, all integrated into the Val Ceno landscape.
The project, entrusted to Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia and winner of a private design competition, received the Best Building Under Construction award at the ABB Leaf Awards in 2017. A visit to the Academy immerses guests in the world of motorsport, showcasing iconic vehicles that shaped Dallara’s evolution from the Miura and X19 to IndyCars, Le Mans prototypes, Formula 3 and Formula E cars, and the latest “Dallara Stradale.” The exhibition ramp allows visitors to explore these high-performance models up close while enjoying a continuous visual connection with the surrounding environment through the building’s sweeping glass wall.
