From May 20 to September 28, 2026, Villa Medici is hosting the fifth edition of the Festival des Cabanes.
Set in the Renaissance gardens of Villa Medici, near the Spanish Steps, the fifth edition of the Festival des Cabanes runs from May 20 to September 28, 2026. The festival transforms the grounds of the French Academy in Rome into a laboratory for architectural experimentation, presenting six temporary cabins made from wood, metal and recycled materials.
Designed by architects, artists and designers, the installations explore sustainable construction, non-invasive architecture and new ways of connecting built spaces with the surrounding landscape.
The concept behind the cabane serves as a creative starting point, prompting architects, designers, artists, and landscape architects to ask important questions: How can we build in ways that are gentle on the environment? What might sustainable living look like in the future?
For those visiting Rome this summer, Festival des Cabanes offers a refreshing and thought-provoking break from traditional sightseeing. It’s a chance to see how contemporary creative minds are reimagining space, right in the heart of one of the city’s most iconic cultural landmarks.
The cabins
Bento Architecture has created a suspended dome made from wood and mycelium, offering visitors shade and coolness while reinterpreting the archetype of the Roman dome.
ECAL, the University of Art and Design Lausanne, has created a trompe-l’œil façade using ceramic tiles, giving the illusion of a complete house within the garden.
Foundation Huttopia raised a sustainable tent-like cabin designed for sustainable housing and based on similar structures used by the Cree Nation in Quebec.
NABA – Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti has reused materials from the 2025 exhibition to create chairs and seating areas for the Villa Medici gardens.
PRÌA and VELIA have arranged terracotta vessels around a travertine base to create a natural cooling system beneath the garden’s trees, offering visitors a shaded place to sit.
Finally, Salazarsequeromedina presents a simple wooden pavilion with an awning, designed as a refuge for birds and a shaded space where visitors can pause and contemplate.
The Festival des Cabanes 2026 is open from May 20 to September 28. Tickets cost €10 at full price and €8 for visitors aged 18–24. Admission is free for visitors under 18, eligible members and visitors with disabilities.
Nuit des Cabanes: Thursday, June 25
As part of the Festival des Cabanes, Villa Medici will host Nuit des Cabanes – Living Tomorrow on June 25 from 5pm to midnight. The evening will feature more than twenty events across the gardens, including workshops, performances, readings, tastings, concerts and DJ sets.
The programme explores sustainability, climate-conscious solutions and new ways of reconnecting with nature through music, dance, talks and participatory activities.
A separate €5 pass is required. Some activities also require advance booking at no additional cost, while the remaining events are accessible to pass holders subject to availability.
