Roma, Italy
2024
2024
Team:
Manuel Bouzas, Rosita Palladino, Juan De la Torre
Institution:
Villa Médicis: Académie de France à Rome
Sponsors:
Librairie 7L
CHANEL
Pictures:
Luis Diaz
Manuel Bouzas, Rosita Palladino, Juan De la Torre
Institution:
Villa Médicis: Académie de France à Rome
Sponsors:
Librairie 7L
CHANEL
Pictures:
Luis Diaz
Situated at one of the highest points in the eternal city, the Cabane 7L serves as an observatory that mediates between the skyline and the gardens of Villa Medici, the French Academy in Rome. In these Renaissance gardens, the installation offers visitors the opportunity to ascend to the canopy level of these historic gardens and discover a panoramic view never captured before. Constructed entirely from mass timber, the project serves as a temporary venue for visitors, residents, and artists, reactivating one of the city’s most iconic locations. During the summer of 2024, the Cabane 7L hosted various cultural events, including performances, concerts, and conversations. The Cabane 7L 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?
The French Academy in Rome - Villa Medici was founded by Louis XIV in 1666. It is a French institution that has been housed since 1803 in the Villa Medici, a sixteenth-century mansion surrounded by a seventeen-acre park, located on the Pincian Hill in the heart of Rome. It is a national public institution under the authority of the Ministry of Culture, fulfilling three complementary roles: hosting artists and art historians in residence for long stays of one year or shorter periods; implementing a cultural program covering all artistic and creative fields aimed at a broad audience; and preserving, restoring, studying, and promoting both its architectural and landscape heritage and its collections. The French Academy in Rome - Villa Medici is directed by Sam Stourdzé.
The Librairie 7L was founded in 1999 by Karl Lagerfeld in Paris and was acquired by CHANEL in 2021. The name 7L pays tribute to the address 7 rue de Lille in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, where it is located, and it was also Karl Lagerfeld's lucky number. 7L reflects the unconditional love its founder had for books and photography. The 700-square-meter space includes a bookstore showcasing new titles on visual arts, a library area where on-site creation is inspired by its personal collection, and a section dedicated to the Éditions 7L publishing house. The selection of books reflects the diversity of artistic production in the 20th and 21st centuries. It features works covering photography, design, decoration, and interior design, as well as monographs on fashion design, exhibition catalogs, and books on gardens and ceramics.
The French Academy in Rome - Villa Medici was founded by Louis XIV in 1666. It is a French institution that has been housed since 1803 in the Villa Medici, a sixteenth-century mansion surrounded by a seventeen-acre park, located on the Pincian Hill in the heart of Rome. It is a national public institution under the authority of the Ministry of Culture, fulfilling three complementary roles: hosting artists and art historians in residence for long stays of one year or shorter periods; implementing a cultural program covering all artistic and creative fields aimed at a broad audience; and preserving, restoring, studying, and promoting both its architectural and landscape heritage and its collections. The French Academy in Rome - Villa Medici is directed by Sam Stourdzé.
The Librairie 7L was founded in 1999 by Karl Lagerfeld in Paris and was acquired by CHANEL in 2021. The name 7L pays tribute to the address 7 rue de Lille in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, where it is located, and it was also Karl Lagerfeld's lucky number. 7L reflects the unconditional love its founder had for books and photography. The 700-square-meter space includes a bookstore showcasing new titles on visual arts, a library area where on-site creation is inspired by its personal collection, and a section dedicated to the Éditions 7L publishing house. The selection of books reflects the diversity of artistic production in the 20th and 21st centuries. It features works covering photography, design, decoration, and interior design, as well as monographs on fashion design, exhibition catalogs, and books on gardens and ceramics.
