Terraviva has officially released the complete list of awarded projects of the architecture contest entitled “Openair Suites”.
The competition invited architects and designers to envision a new model of rural hospitality set within the striking agricultural landscape at the foothills of Mount Etna. The competition challenged participants to design two prototype suite modules as part of a coherent architectural system, capable of defining a recognizable and adaptable identity across different contexts. At the heart of the proposal was the creation of an Architectural Brandbook, a set of guidelines translating the vision of Openair Suites into spatial and architectural language. The selected site, La Fucina di Vulcano, served as a testing ground for lightweight and reversible interventions that could integrate seamlessly with the existing environment, offering comfort, intimacy and a strong connection to nature. More broadly, the competition explored how small-scale architecture can foster slow, immersive and experience-driven forms of hospitality.
The awarded proposals were recognized for their ability to merge architectural innovation with a deep sensitivity to landscape and context. The jury praised projects that used the volcanic terrain as a generative force, shaping layouts and spatial experiences that feel both organic and coherent. Particular appreciation was given to designs that achieved a refined continuity between interior and exterior, carefully orchestrating light, views and privacy to enhance the quality of the stay. Other proposals stood out for their social dimension, envisioning shared spaces that encourage interaction and exchange between guests and local communities. The thoughtful integration of materials, colors and forms rooted in the Sicilian environment, combined with well-designed communal areas, further reinforced the sense of belonging and identity across the proposals.
Terraviva warmly congratulates all participants for their creativity and dedication, whose proposals have contributed to redefining rural hospitality through architecture that is sensitive, immersive and deeply connected to place.
The winners were selected by an international jury panel composed by:
• Giovanni Polazzi [Milan, Italy] | Archea Associati
• Aldo Cingolani [Milan, Italy] | Bertone Design
• Eugenia Pronzati [Milan, Italy] | Dropshot / The Blue Corner
• Sergio Redaelli [Milan, Italy] | Crippaconcept
• Sergio Pitrone [Milan, Italy] | :Vertumn
• Gloria Pierluigi [Modena, Italy] | Fuorirotta
• Francesco Salvaggio [Florence, Italy] | MyGlamping.it
• Giorgia Dallasio [Milan, Italy] | Pambianconews
1st Prize
Sciara Vista
Omar Badr, Rossana Bordone
Egypt – Italy
The project supports a model of rural tourism based on low-impact development and a strong connection to the local landscape.
Rather than introducing large-scale infrastructure, it proposes small, distributed units that integrate with the existing environment and reflect local materials and traditions.
This approach encourages a slower and more conscious form of tourism, where visitors engage directly with the territory, its ecological processes, and its cultural context, contributing to the preservation and enhancement of the Etna landscape.
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About the First Prize – GIORGIA DALLASIO – PAMBIANCONEWS
“The design approach is highly successful, interpreting the volcanic landscape as the generative matrix of the intervention and translating it into an organic and well-articulated layout. The units, featuring an original and elegant design, demonstrate a high spatial quality, with a strong continuity between interior and exterior and a careful management of light, views, and privacy.”
2nd Prize
Openair Suites
Ruslan Shotaev, Vladislav Rylko, Alina Boldina
Russia
Each site of Openair suites consists of 6-10 clustered modular houses with their own private yards and community centres, creating micro-habitats around each dwelling.
Each unit is surrounded by an eco-friendly framework that creates a living envelope offering the comfort of an upscale hotel, essential architecture and a strong connection to the land and to those who cultivate it.
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About the 2nd Prize – EUGENIA PRONZATI – DROPSHOT / THE BLUE CORNER
“A concept that facilitates the creation of a community of mutual exchange between locals and guests and where such exchange enhance the guest experience. Creative (and perhaps a bit avant-guarde for the environment) vision of common areas.”
3rd Prize
Basalto
Livia Tilli, Qiongqiong Wu Wu, Cristina Chenxi Pan Liu
Italy – Spain
Basalto proposes a minimal and immersive hospitality system where architecture becomes a device to observe the landscape.
Each suite is conceived as a precise spatial frame, carefully oriented to Mount Etna, transforming the act of inhabiting into a continuous visual and sensory connection with the volcano.
Lightweight and elevated above the ground, the cabins gently rest on the terrain, minimizing their environmental impact while adapting to the natural slope. The project avoids imposing itself on the site, instead dissolving into it through material restraint, soft transitions, and controlled proportions.
While the suites remain geometrically pure and essential, the shared spaces unfold through a series of organic and rounded interventions. Inspired by volcanic formations, these collective areas create fluid, informal environments for gathering, resting, and contemplation.
Basalto is not conceived as a collection of objects, but as a spatial system where architecture, landscape, and atmosphere merge into a quiet and continuous experience of nature.
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About the 3rd Prize – GLORIA PIERLUIGI – FUORIROTTA
“Basalto project is strongly integrated with the Sicilian landscape, both in its color palette and in the variety of elements used; the shared communal areas are particularly well designed and very appealing.”
Golden Mention
Living Modules
Ugur Ozer Ozguven, Ergi Bozyigit, Sevgi Bodur, Ozden Yalnizgul, Turac Sarikamis
Turkey
Golden Mention
Italian Safari
Leonardo Gattamorta
Italy
Golden Mention
TRAMARE
Anna Kintsurashvili
Russia
Golden Mention
Where Earth Becomes Shelter
Lucas Nahuel Rodriguez
Argentina
Golden Mention
Etna Landscape Hotel
Alessandro Pupillo
United States
Honorable Mention
Ignis Circulus
Alina Koltsova, Michaelle Sarkisyants
Russia
Honorable Mention
Open Nest
Evangelia Liakou
Greece
Honorable Mention
Breath of Etna
Sabrina Lee, Ziqian Chen
Australia
Honorable Mention
The Cabin a Cave experience
Steven Sartore, Stefano Bosco, Nicoló Marafin
Italy
Honorable Mention
Openair Suites
Beatrice Blu Torti, Sara Rebecchi
Italy
Honorable Mention
THE MULTI-FRAME
Duy Le Nguyen Khanh, Trang Nguyen Minh, Loc Tran Hung, Mai Le Xuan, Thanh Nguyen Ngoc Tri
Vietnam
Honorable Mention
FRAME by Openair Suites
Andrew Friedenberg, Edward Meyers
United Kingdom
Honorable Mention
Etna Reflection
Olga Radchenko
Russia
Honorable Mention
Openair Suites
DaLi Wang, Chaz Chai, LuJing Qiu, Dan Yu, QiYue Xu
China
Honorable Mention
Yakisugi Casa
Valerie De V
Japan
SHORTLISTED PROJECTS
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