A striking red bivouac shelter perched at 7,546 feet above sea level in Italy's Orobie Alps is serving a dual purpose as both a mountain refuge and an innovative cultural outpost for Bergamo's contemporary art scene. The Aldo Frattini Bivouac, designed by architecture firm EX., represents a groundbreaking collaboration between GAMeC (Galleria d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Bergamo) and the Bergamo Section of the Italian Alpine Club (CAI) as part of The Orobie Biennial: Thinking Like a Mountain project.
Located along the Alta Via delle Orobie Bergamasche trail in Val Seriana, Bergamo, the innovative structure extends the city's contemporary art museum network into the pristine alpine environment. Rather than functioning as a traditional gallery or exhibition space, the bivouac serves as a permanent shelter offering protection and rest to mountaineers while establishing a unique dialogue between architecture, landscape, and contemporary culture. The project explores the complex relationship between art, territory, and ecological systems with support from Fondazione Cariplo and Fondazione della Comunità Bergamasca.
The bivouac was designed by EX., a cutting-edge design laboratory founded by Andrea Cassi and Michele Versaci, who specialize in projects that blend architecture, landscape design, and technology. Their approach prioritizes a lightweight and reversible construction system designed to minimize environmental impact on the fragile alpine ecosystem. The shelter's distinctive form draws inspiration from classic alpine tents and early mountaineering structures while incorporating contemporary engineering techniques and advanced materials.
Developed in partnership with Ferrino, a renowned outdoor equipment company, the shelter features a specialized technical textile exterior engineered to withstand the harsh weather conditions typical of high-altitude environments. This innovative structure represents one of the first permanent textile-based emergency shelters designed specifically for alpine settings, serving as an experimental prototype that combines sustainability principles, rapid assembly capabilities, and efficient use of space.
Despite its compact dimensions of 12.3 by 8.5 by 8.5 feet and weighing approximately 5,500 pounds, the bivouac maximizes functionality within its 27-square-foot footprint. The structure is specifically optimized for installation in remote mountainous locations where traditional construction methods would be impractical or environmentally damaging. The interior features natural cork lining that provides both thermal and acoustic insulation while creating a warm, tactile environment for occupants seeking shelter from alpine conditions.
The thoughtfully designed interior layout can accommodate up to nine people, featuring perimeter benches and innovative foldable beds inspired by climbing portaledges. These versatile sleeping surfaces can be quickly converted to serve as emergency stretchers when needed, demonstrating the bivouac's functional flexibility as both a refuge and a survival station. Natural light enters through a strategically placed skylight and two porthole windows, while the cork surfaces and controlled acoustics create a calm, contemplative atmosphere conducive to rest and reflection.
The design philosophy draws inspiration from "Shelter" (1973) by Lloyd Kahn and Bob Easton, a comprehensive study of self-built and temporary dwellings, and applies the shearing layers theory developed by Stewart Brand and Frank Duffy. This approach views architecture as a dynamic, adaptable system rather than a static structure, allowing the bivouac to respond to changing environmental conditions and user needs.
Beyond its primary function as a mountain refuge, the Aldo Frattini Bivouac operates as a sophisticated scientific monitoring station equipped with integrated sensors that continuously collect environmental data on local climatic and ecological conditions. This real-time information is transmitted directly to GAMeC's headquarters in Bergamo, creating an unprecedented connection between the remote alpine environment and the urban cultural institution.
Through this innovative dual function as both shelter and environmental observatory, the project challenges traditional concepts of permanence in high-altitude architecture. The bivouac represents a new approach to construction that emphasizes listening to and learning from the landscape rather than imposing human structures upon it. This philosophy aligns perfectly with the broader goals of "Thinking Like a Mountain," which explores themes of sustainability, cultural presence, and the delicate balance between human activity and environmental preservation in one of Europe's most pristine mountain ranges.
