Colonia Principi di Piemonte, Summer camp in Calambrone, Italy

Colonia Principi di Piemonte is a former seaside summer camp in Calambrone, Pisa, with two pavilions parallel to the sea linked by a glazed portico that forms the fuselage of an airplane-shaped plan. The main sea-facing pavilion rises three storeys on a raised base, with a seven-column semicircular portico and rows of rectangular and arched windows.

The bank Cassa di Risparmio di Pistoia e Pescia commissioned this seaside facility in 1932, which operated as a summer camp until 1974. The site then fell into neglect for decades before undergoing major restoration in the early 2000s that converted it into residential apartments.

The name honours Umberto and Maria José of Piedmont, and the colony served children of Air Force personnel. Its plan reads as an airplane aimed at the sea, with the rear building as the fuselage and the two dormitory wings as the plane's wings. The semicircular porch on the sea front rests on seven columns.

The facility sits at Viale del Tirreno 74 in Calambrone and is easily accessible when walking along the seaside road. Since it has been converted into private residences, the best way to appreciate it is by viewing the architecture from the outside and exploring the surrounding public areas.

Recent studies have highlighted the symbolic intent of the airplane-shaped plan and the building's clear geometric rigour. Within the generally rationalist language of the colonies along Viale del Tirreno, its pronounced neoclassical elegance makes it a singular and valuable example.