Pancalpina

2026

Client:  Trentino Sviluppo

Pancalpina is a hybrid object designed for those who experience the mountains. It is a traditional bench, intended for contemplating the landscape, resting, or reflecting, which can transform when needed.

Its belly conceals a survival kit and a tent that can be set up using the bench’s own structure. It is not a bivouac or a place for long stays, but rather a minimal shelter for survival while waiting for rescue or for spending a night protected from rain or snow. Climate change and the increasing number of people frequenting alpine environments call for a rethinking of the human-objects that populate the mountain landscape. In its bench configuration, Pancalpina is discreet and non-invasive, made of materials designed to withstand extreme conditions. In emergency form, it becomes a place of safety: inside, users can find essential items such as thermal blankets, a shovel, a torch, and everything needed to set up the tent.

The alpine environment remains one of the few areas of truly wild-and at times harsh-nature left in Europe. Any intervention must therefore be respectful and limited capable of preserving a landscape that is only lightly anthropized.

Refuges, bivouacs, and benches are among the structures that define these places, becoming true artificial landmarks that help people orient themselves and find protection. Within this context, Pancalpina proposes a new type of object that could, in the future, contribute to experiencing the mountains in a safer yet minimally invasive way.

The structure, made of solid larch wood with stainless steel components, ensures durabilityand resistance to the extreme weather conditions typical of mountain environments.

Design by: Studio Francesco Faccin
Project Team: Alberto, Manca Luigi Bailon
PANCALPINA was part of a project Promoted by: Provincia Autonoma di Trento
Coordinated by: Trentino Sviluppo
In collaboration with: Trentino Marketing
Curated by: Aldo Colonnetti, Paolo Baldessari
Technical Supervision: Ying Huang
PANCALPINA was manufactured by: Flegnameria Decrestina
In collaboration with: Gecele Franco, srl Ravelli Sport