Officina 82's Tana delle Marmotte Embeds a Corten-and-Spruce Learning Burrow in the Mont Blanc Massif
Officina 82 has unveiled Tana delle Marmotte, an innovative subterranean educational facility aimed at youth, located at the Pavillon station of the Skyway Monte Bianco in Italy’s Aosta Valley, at an elevation of 2,173 meters. The structure consists of three Corten steel tubes, with a central tube measuring 8 meters and two others with diameters of 2,200 mm and 1,300 mm, designed for easy disassembly. Inside, the architecture resembles marmot burrows, featuring 40 mm three-ply spruce plywood that serves as both seating and display spaces, all enhanced by LED lighting. The design was led by Fabio Revetria and Lara Sappa for Skyway Monte Bianco.
Key facts
- Tana delle Marmotte sits at 2,173 meters at the Pavillon station of the Skyway Monte Bianco cableway in the Aosta Valley, Italy
- Officina 82 designed the permanent underground educational installation for children and teenagers
- The shell comprises three prefabricated Corten steel conduits, including an 8-meter central tube and transverse pipes of 2,200 mm and 1,300 mm diameter
- The structure rests on fine gravel without permanent concrete foundations, making it fully reversible
- Corten elements were manufactured off-site with flanged connections, weight-calibrated for helicopter transport and dry-assembled on site
- Interior ribs are 40 mm three-ply spruce plywood anchored to perimeter timber rings and infilled with tongue-and-groove spruce boarding
- A carved staircase leads to a clear acrylic porthole that also functions as a skylight
- Fabio Revetria and Lara Sappa are the lead designers; Skyway Monte Bianco is the client
Entities
Artists
- Fabio Revetria
- Lara Sappa
- Arianna Garelli
- Lucrezia Nari
- Simone Bianchi
- Corrado Curti
- Paolo Zamparutti
- Giulia Sarno
- Christina Vergopoulou
Institutions
- Officina 82
- Skyway Monte Bianco
- IngeMBP
- Nuova Sicmi
- Studio Arredi
- CED Impianti Group
- IdeaLAB
- designboom
Locations
- Aosta Valley
- Italy
- Pavillon
- Mont Blanc
- Skyway Monte Bianco