Stepping inside a candy-box world at Leone 1857’s Happiness Factory

You can open the small candy box in your hand, but you cannot walk into the world depicted on the box. Italian confectionery brand Leone’s ‘Happiness Factory’ is a space that has expanded its boundaries. The confectionery brand remembered for its colors and decorations takes shape at the scale of doors, rooms and paths.

Leone 1857 opened a new visiting space in Collegno, near Turin, in September 2026. Design Bridge and Partners were in charge of the overall creative direction and visual identity of the experience, Studio Paolo Monzeglio was in charge of the exhibition design, and Fo.LL.iA was in charge of the interactive, multimedia, and graphic elements.

Packaging at the scale of a building

The approximately 2,000㎡ viewing route consists of 14 experience zones. Turin's architectural elements, such as squares, arches, and golden decorations, meet the brand's colors. Devices that can be touched and moved by hand, the texture and scent of ingredients, and tasting are placed next to visual information.

The production team explains that instead of putting all the experience on screen, they prioritized analog interaction and mechanical movement. Digital projection is also used, but it augments specific moments rather than replacing real objects and production processes. Viewing moves from reading descriptions of snacks to experiencing the ingredients and processes through one's senses.

The factory you see and the factory you enter are different.

The main point emphasized in the introduction of the project is the connection with the actual operating factory. However, the visitor options make clear that, the general museum tour and the premium tour into the production area are separate. It should not be understood as a space where you can freely tour all production sites with just a general admission ticket.

The official site informs that tasting is included in the general admission, and workshops on making chocolate, pastille, and fruit jelly are also run separately. Viewing, production experience, and production area tours are divided into different participation methods.

When you buy a product, only the results remain in your hands. When you visit a factory, the materials, operations, and time required to produce the results are presented in front of you. It is a way to explore, at a larger scale, a brand previously known through small packages.

If you see the candy box again at the exit, you may see something different from the first time. This is because the color and decoration of the box's surface are a small version of the room and road we just passed through.