Architectural Heritage in the French Mountains

During the 20th century, the rising popularity of ski and snow vacations necessitated an unprecedented wave of construction.  To fulfil their missions, architects and designers were given full creative freedom, bringing their ideas to life on what had previously been untouched terrain.  Thanks to their remarkable ideas, urbanism, design and the philosophy of mountain architecture have come together to form important elements of France’s cultural heritage.

Perhaps you are fortunate enough to have visited the Petit Palais in Paris, which, up until September, housed an exhibition devoted to Charlotte Perriand.  This exhibition allowed visitors to admire photographs and other works by this passionate mountaineer, who was also the heart of the architectural firm that built the “Les Arcs” resort, completed in 1982. Perriand created and equipped the majority of the buildings.  The station, perched on the slopes of the Aiguille Grive, was constructed over a dozen years beginning in 1968.  R. Godino, who initiated the project, had the vision of a « new, humanist approach to vacationing, in the beautiful surroundings of the mountains; a time for personal, cultural and athletic development, at a reasonable price. » So began the quest for the ideal resort, accessible to everyone. Resolutely avant-garde, the architecture of Les Arcs was inspired by Le Corbusier and brought to life by Charlotte Perriand and her team. Architects, graphic artists, engineers and carpenters, together they sought to integrate their vision into the surrounding landscape, concentrating construction to reduce impact.  They decided on a car-free station where commerce, residences and facilities would be linked by footpaths.  Accommodation facilities were conceived as individual units, where the layout can be altered according to need.  

Spirit of innovation

Les Arcs is only one of the architectural legends of the French mountains.  Other groups and collectives have also sought to create the « ideal station. » Between 1920 and 1980, winter sport stations in the Alps became veritable laboratories for urban planning. Such as in 1925, when the architect H.J. Le Meme persuaded N. de Rothschild to build a modern ski station at Megève, giving birth to the ski chalet. Or when J. Labro put into place his vision for a car-free station at Avoriaz, accessible by cable car. In 1994, the Ministry of Culture ordered an inventory of six stations including Megève, Courchevel 1850, Flaine, Avoriaz, Les Arcs and Karellis. During this time, all construction and facilities were counted, prominent figures interviewed, and polls held, alongside thorough research of the archives of the architectural firms who were responsible for the construction of the stations, as well as the municipalities.  And always with the same consensus: the creators had responded to the specific needs of each site. Apart from a standard archival exercise, this mission had the objective of shedding light on the incredible architectural heritage of the resorts and to assure the longevity of each site through the designation of the « 20th Century Heritage » label, turning the chosen sites into protected historical monuments. Once avant-garde, these architectural gems have become historical legacy.