What the Stones Whisper: Lunano Timber Tower by MAGMA

The newly unveiled project titled What the Stones Whisper stands along the ridge of the Lunano hills in Italy's Marche region. Reaching a height of six meters, the timber structure offers a contemporary architectural reinterpretation of the nearby Torre Lunano and the traditional stone buildings scattered across the surrounding landscape.

Designed and constructed by the architecture practice Collectif MAGMA within a two-week period, the temporary landmark was built for the Fe.M – Festival di Microarchitettura. The project utilizes limited timber resources, self-build construction methods, and a repetitive structural grid to establish a lightweight installation along a regional walking trail.

The structural framework consists of eight triangulated timber frames built from 50 by 60 millimeter pine battens, assembled through recurring connections and bracing systems. Ten layers of timber shingles are suspended from jute ropes, forming a discontinuous outer envelope that shifts dynamically in response to wind currents.

"Their changing position produces shifting patterns of light and shadow while allowing air and sound to pass through the structure."

Collectif MAGMA

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

Two narrow doorways frame specific vistas toward the surrounding hills while guiding visitors into the open-air interior. Successive structural frames gradually direct the eye upward toward the sky, while the movement of the suspended shingles creates an evolving acoustic and visual environment within the tower.