GRRIZ shapes reversible timber structure along the arc of the setting sun in italian mountains

palcosole open air stage inclines according to setting sun

Palcosole is an open air stage designed for community performances in the Apennine hills south of Bologna, Italy. The timber structure provides a reversible platform for cultural events and reinforces the clearing’s established role as a place for shared experience. Designed by studio GRRIZ, the main canopy inclines at exactly 30 degrees to trace the arc of a descending half sun. This civic gesture transforms a historic outdoor gathering space into a lightweight cultural infrastructure, assembled entirely without permanent fixings and removable without a trace.

The plan follows proportional rules derived from the Golden Section and the logarithmic spiral associated with the nautilus fossil, a form found in the Bologna Apennines. These geometric principles generate a layout that reads as organic yet rigorously controlled. Curved lines organize circulation and enclosure, while precise structural alignments ensure clarity in construction. 

all images courtesy of GRRIZ

grriz designs timber strucTUre in italy for quick disassembly 

The structure rests entirely on an existing semicircle of porphyry stone, avoiding excavation or alteration of the ground. Reversibility guides GRRIZ studio’s every technical decision. Designers can dismantle and remove all components without leaving permanent traces on the site. The designers used spruce glulam for the primary frame, while larch forms the decking and cladding, selected for durability and warmth. A secondary layer of chestnut and larch fins crowns the canopy, operating as a brise soleil that filters light rather than blocking it. As the sun moves, shadows shift across the stage floor, turning the roof into an active environmental device that responds to time and season.

All timber comes from a certified regional supply chain, reinforcing the project’s local integration. Builders assembled the structure entirely through dry connections, without structural adhesives or irreversible fixings. This approach prioritizes precision and ensures the possibility of full disassembly. At the front of the stage, the design eliminates columns to preserve an uninterrupted visual relationship between performers, audience, and landscape. The open span functions as both a structural solution and a civic gesture. Palcosole frames performances and gatherings while maintaining visual continuity with the hills beyond, offering a calibrated architectural device that supports community life and can be carefully dismantled when required.

the 30° incline geometry derives from the golden section and the nautilus spiral

the timber frame emerges from the clearing against the hills of bologna

the primary structural frame was assembled without structural adhesives or permanent fixings

the canopy traces the gesture of the sun descending behind the calanchi

the structure integrates into the clearing without competing with the surrounding landscape

approach to palcosole along the park path

larch decking, glulam joints and warm artificial light compose the atmosphere of a night event

project info:

name: Palcosole
designer: GRRIZ I @grriz_studio

location: Bologna, Italy

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edited by: claire brodka | designboom

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