manuel bouzas' cabane 7L culminates in V-shaped canopy at villa medici

Cabane 7l mediates between the skyline and Villa Medici gardens

Sited at one of the highest points in the eternal city, Cabane 7L serves as an observatory that mediates between the skyline and gardens of Villa Medici, the French Academy in Rome. In these Renaissance gardens, the temporary installation, built entirely from mass timber, welcomes visitors to ascend to canopy level and discover a panoramic view never captured before — reactivating one of the city’s most iconic locations. Designed by architect Manuel Bouzas with Librairie 7L and CHANEL, the project is part of the 2024 edition of the Festival des Cabanes. This summer festival joins six different installations to transform the historic gardens into a laboratory for architectural experimentation. Primarily built with wood, the festival centers around the concept of the cabin (cabane), serving as a platform for dialogue between architecture, landscape, art, and design.

all images © Luis Díaz (unless stated otherwise)

Manuel Bouzas nods to the site’s history and topography

Cabane 7L by Manuel Bouzas (see more here) draws inspiration from its unique topographical and historical context. In the sixteenth century, on the outskirts of ancient Rome, Ferdinando I de’ Medici transformed the residence of Cardinal Ricci on the Pincian Hill into a Renaissance villa known for its distinctive architecture and gardens. Since the establishment of the French Academy in the early nineteenth century, generations of Romans have witnessed the evolution of the academy’s gardens, which outline their iconic silhouette of pine trees. Cabane 7L poses a thought-provoking question: What have those trees witnessed over these centuries?

Cabane 7L by Manuel Bouzas

an elevated public space reaching for the trees

The installation at Villa Medicia provides an elevated public space at the level of the trees, whose canopies, although growing there for centuries, will not remain forever. Six timber porticos support two platforms; the first at ground level welcomes visitors and hosts public events, while the second platform, set at seven meters high, serves as an observation deck with rocking chairs, benches, and a picnic table. A cross-laminated timber staircase braces the structure diagonally, replicating the same steps as the palace’s historical helical staircase. Cabane 7L culminates in a V-shaped canopy that protects from sun and rain, providing shade and welcoming the breeze over the hill. Manuel Bouzas ensured the installation could be assembled and disassembled; he even installed 16 water storage bags of 260 liters beneath the ground platform to guarantee wind resistance without standard foundations.

six timber porticos support two platforms

a low-carbon mass timber construction for cabane 7l

The structure is built with sustainable certified laminated fir. All the beams were industrially processed in Spain by SIDO Madera and assembled on-site using dovetail joints, avoiding the need for more complex and carbon-intensive alternatives such as steel brackets. The timber was shipped by boat to Rome, significantly reducing carbon emissions compared to other forms of transport like trucks or trains. Once in Rome, their prefabrication required manual installation by one or two people, reducing costs, time, and risks. Construction only took five days.

From May 22 to September 29, 2024, Cabane 7L will be hosting various cultural activities organized by Villa Medici, Librairie 7L, and CHANEL. These events have so far included conversations with figures such as Emmanuele Coccia and Alessandro Michele, performances by François Chaignaud and Aymeric Hainaux, and concerts by Léonie Pernet, among others.

the project is part of the 2024 edition of the Festival des Cabanes