nouveau musée national de monaco, agora the place of the museum, 2025

LAB3 AGORA, THE PLACE OF THE MUSEUM – NMNM Monaco

In 2025, Ecoletopie is exhibited at the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco during LAB3 – AGORA, THE PLACE OF THE MUSEUM, from January 24 to May 4 at Villa Sauber.

“Imagining the school of tomorrow with smarin studio”

School as Utopia

Since its founding, NMNM has collaborated with many designers. Beyond practical function, it is in education that design finds its deepest meaning. Since 2023, the museum, in collaboration with the Department of Education, Youth and Sports and with the support of the Prince Albert II Foundation, has partnered with smarin to produce Ecoletopie: a holistic classroom concept, an innovative alternative to traditional elementary school.

Excerpt from conversation: Emanuele Quinz & Stéphanie Marin

EQ. What strikes me is the idea of utopia. This project reactivates utopian thinking—both as ideal and as practical framework—and locates it precisely within the school space.

SM. Utopia here is a method, a lever for engagement. Faced with eco-anxiety, children are invited to develop their own diagnoses and solutions. Ecoletopie offers an idiorythmic space—where each child follows their rhythm within a cohesive group. The school becomes a space to think, act, and reimagine society from the ground up.

From Experimentation to Ownership

In 2023, a CM1 class at Saint-Charles School in Monaco tested Ecoletopie thanks to the partnership between NMNM, the Department of Education, and the Prince Albert II Foundation.

Following the positive outcomes, a new class will adopt the setup in 2024–2025.

Excerpt from conversation: Emanuele Quinz & Stéphanie Marin

EQ. What feedback did you get from the students? How did the project evolve?

SM. Teachers observed improved concentration—thanks to a pollutant-free space, increased mobility, modular tools like the sChaise and Kairos, and "landscape sheets" that fostered active exploration. Subtle improvements were made to support this fluid dynamic.

Excerpt from forthcoming catalog: AGORA, THE PLACE OF THE MUSEUM – LAB3, NMNM edition