The Capanna Minolina is a prefabricated structure designed by architect Giulio Minoletti. Conceived in 1960 and unveiled in 1962 at Milan’s Palazzo dell’Arte, this innovative shelter was meant to revolutionise accommodation for tourists with its minimal footprint and ease of assembly. Marketed by the company ‘Holiday’, it promised affordable, year-round vacations in diverse landscapes. However, its legacy has been overlooked. While some of these cabins still stand in coastal settings, the alpine prototype met a different fate. Demolished in 2024, it fell victim to preservation regulations that failed to recognise its architectural significance.
Minoletti, a pioneer of lightweight prefabrication, was instrumental in modern design, shaping interiors for ships, aircraft, and high-speed trains. Yet his contributions were disregarded, and the Capanna Minolina’s demolition epitomises the neglect and erasure of a unique architectural heritage. This photograph remains as testament to what was lost – a fragment of Italy’s postwar architectural innovation, sacrificed to bureaucracy and indifference.
