A groundbreaking nomadic shelter called "The Odyssey of the Cabin" has been unveiled by Chile-based Celva Arquitectura in collaboration with Belgium-based Saga Architects. This triangular, lightweight structure represents an innovative exploration of the relationship between space, time, and human presence within natural landscapes. The compact cabin's unique design has earned recognition as a finalist at the Festival des Cabanes de Villa Médicis 2026, organized by the French Academy in Rome, Villa Medici.
The cabin's triangular geometry serves both structural and symbolic purposes, drawing inspiration from ancestral monoliths and primitive architectural forms. Elevated slightly above the ground on minimal supports, the shelter creates a porous volume that carefully frames its natural surroundings without imposing on the existing landscape. The structure's most distinctive feature is its white textile skin, which is tensioned over a timber frame to allow light and wind to filter through, producing an open and highly adaptable atmosphere.
The interior spatial experience is thoughtfully organized into two complementary conditions that serve different human needs. At the front of the structure, an integrated seat provides a place of rest and intimacy, designed to recall the protective qualities of a cave. At the back, a minimal stair leads directly to the roof, effectively transforming the entire structure into an elevated observation platform that opens toward the horizon. This dual arrangement supports both retreat and projection, encouraging moments of pause as well as outward reflection and contemplation.
The central stair system leads to a circular opening at the top, turning the simple path into what the architects describe as "a ritual of ascent and discovery." This oculus frames the surrounding landscape, including distant volcanoes, as a timeless horizon where the nomadic journey meets contemplation of the natural world. The circular void serves as a device for both contemplation and memory, allowing occupants to connect with their environment in a profound way.
Construction of the cabin utilizes a simple yet sophisticated reversible system of timber frames and stretched textile membranes. The entire structure is assembled using dry joints, which means it can be completely disassembled and relocated to different sites, emphasizing minimal ground impact and demonstrating a strong commitment to temporary, low-impact architecture. Inside the structure, the fabric envelope softly diffuses daylight, filters air circulation, and enhances occupants' awareness of the surrounding natural environment.
Rather than functioning as a permanent dwelling, the structure operates as what the architects term "a cultural device" that recalls nomadic traditions of adaptation, movement, and deliberate exposure to natural elements. The design highlights the inherent tension between temporary habitation and enduring human presence in the landscape. The modular skin of wood and white veils creates intricate plays of shadows that seem to converse with the surrounding forest environment.
The project team consisted of Camilo Silva Badilla from Celva Arquitectura, along with Alice Gier and Alexis Soriano from Saga Architects. Despite its compact 4 square meter area, the cabin successfully combines geometric precision with inhabitable flexibility through its innovative double pillar-beam system that structures the modular frame. The scale model reveals the artifact's dual condition as both an intimate shelter and a vertical lookout toward the horizon, demonstrating how pure geometric form can be transformed into what the architects call "inhabitable poetry."
