Abitare Minimo in Montagna
How do you build in the mountains in a contemporary, sustainable, and minimal-intervention way? The traveling exhibition "Abitare Minimo in Montagna" showcases outstanding examples from across Italy – from the Alps to the islands – and demonstrates how small-scale construction opens up new ways of living and socializing, conserves resources, and seeks dialogue with the landscape and context.
The exhibition showcases 42 projects that participated in the eponymous "Abitare Minimo in Montagna" award: including two prize winners, four special awards, and twelve commendations. Complemented by the jury's statements, the exhibition panels offer a broad insight into contemporary Italian building culture. Works from the provinces of Aosta, Avellino, Belluno, Bergamo, Bologna, Bolzano, Catania, Cuneo, Lucca, Siracusa, Sondrio, Turin, and Udine are represented.
The spectrum ranges from public buildings that have been given new life, to abandoned residential buildings that have been reclaimed through new functions and architectural quality, to revitalized historic centers. Many of the projects are located in peripheral regions far from cities – places that have found new value, new identity, and often a new soul through architecture, often with minimal resources.
The exhibition was developed as part of the Festival all'insù, an architecture festival organized by the Comunità Montana di Valle Camonica. It is supported by the Festival Architettura – Edizione 3, funded by the Direzione Generale Creatività Contemporanea of the Italian Ministry of Culture. The Abitare Minimo in Montagna award was established by the Comunità Montana di Valle Camonica as an integral part of the Festival all'insù. The aim is to highlight good examples and practices of transformation, particularly in small mountain villages. The award recognizes projects that require minimal structural intervention and minimal land and energy consumption, yet still achieve high architectural quality.
The focus is on small-scale interventions in mountain regions – projects that optimize resources, enhance existing buildings through renovation, reuse, conservation, or partial reconstruction, and open up new perspectives for housing and community through the dialogue between old and new. Eligible projects were completed within the last decade at elevations above 600 meters.
Opening: September 16, 2025, 7 p.m.
Speakers: Nicola Borgmann, Moritz Holfelder