Rucksack Hotel in Bagnoli

Perched on a rock between sand and sea near Naples, this practical, low-cost, environmentally friendly structure provides shelter from the elements for up to 14 tourists with sleeping bags. With its fabric roof and simple wood construction, it evokes a number of images: that of a tent, of debris washed upby the sea, of a minimalist Japanese structure, or an improvised viewing point. Sanitary facilities are housed in the red-clad tower on one side. The structure was erected in the course of a week-long student seminar organized by the Universities of Washington and Naples. It isconstructed entirely of natural materials. Itcanbe simply dismantled by removing theanchoring sandbags, untying the guy ropesand withdrawing the fixing pins. The structure can then be stored until the following summer.