Clinging to a precious step of granite, ice axes in hand, with the next rest 12 meters up, the only regret you’ll have as a climber is the training you passed up. Each centimeter gained vertically is a triumph as the lactic acid…
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At 12,000 feet above sea level, with a cold wind perpetually whipping and the alpine sun intensified by the reflective snowfields below, the old adage “the clothes don’t make the man (or rather, person)” couldn’t be less true. Technical, carefully designed clothing and…
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Perched on an Alpine ridge 3256 metres above sea level, this shiny steel cabin by Swiss firm Savioz Fabrizzi Architectes creates a starting point for mountaineers climbing the Bishorn, Weisshorn or Tête de Milon (+ slideshow).
Savioz Fabrizzi Architectes designed Tracuit Mountain Hut to replace an existing climbers’ facility that had been constructed in 1929 in the Chaussy section of the Swiss Alpine Club.
The existing building had been subjected to a number of adaptions over the years and would have required extensive renovation to bring it up to modern standards, so a decision was made to simply knock it down and start from scratch.
Wrapping over the peak of a mountain and glacier, the building has an angular shape that is orientated south to make the most of solar heat and energy.
“The nature of the site, between a cliff and a glacier, defined the position and shape of the new hut, which is constructed along the ridge above the cliff, fitting in with the site’s topography,” said the architects.
Solar panels cover the south elevation and the roof, allowing the building to generate all of its own power. Larger windows are also located on this side of the building, where they can take advantage of solar heat gain.
The difficulty in transporting concrete to the remote location prompted the architects to use a timber frame for the building’s structure, which had to be prefabricated and airlifted to the site by helicopter.
Corrugated stainless-steel panels clad the west, north and east elevations, creating a shiny surface that offers a distorted reflection of the surroundings.
Four storeys of accommodation are contained within the building, including sleeping spaces for up to 116 guests and large canteen.
“From the refectory, guests enjoy an uninterrupted, plunging view over the Val de Zinal,” added the architects.
Photography is by Thomas Jantscher.
Here’s some project text from Savioz Fabrizzi Architectes:
New Tracuit Mountain Hut, Zinal
The Tracuit Mountain Hut (altitude 3256 metres) belongs to the Chaussy section of the Swiss Alpine Club and is situated in the Val d’Anniviers, in the heart of the Valaisan Alps. Its superb position makes it the ideal starting-point for climbing the Bishorn, the Weisshorn, and the Tête de Milon.
The hut was built in 1929 and enlarged several times to cope with a constant increase in guest numbers and expected levels of comfort. Current requirements concerning health and safety, staffing, facilities, and environmental protection meant that the hut needed to be enlarged and completely refurbished. As transforming the existing hut would have produced a significant cost overhead, the club decided to build a new one. The design was chosen via an architectural competition.
The nature of the site, between a cliff and a glacier, defined the position and shape of the new hut, which is constructed along the ridge above the cliff, fitting in with the site’s topography. The south facade of the building extends from the cliff and works like a large solar collector, being either glazed or covered with solar panels to make maximum use of solar energy. The other facades reflect the surrounding landscape. From the refectory, guests enjoy an uninterrupted, plunging view over the Val de Zinal.
At this altitude, the construction methods had to be adapted to the adverse weather conditions and to the means of transport available. As transporting concrete is particularly expensive, its use was minimised and restricted largely to individual footings.
The whole of the structural frame is of wood. The wall and floor components, consisting of studs/beams, insulation and cladding, were prefabricated in the factory and transported by helicopter for on-site assembly. Panels of stainless steel cladding protect the roof and outer walls from the elements.
The east, west and north walls have only a few openings, reducing heat loss while providing optimum natural ventilation. Larger windows on the south wall, which is exposed to the sun, enable passive solar energy to be stored, and this wall is also covered with solar panels.
During the work, the existing hut accommodated the usual guests and also the construction workers. At the end of the work, this outdated, energy-hungry building was taken down. The lower part of the walls remains, with the south wall delimiting the terrace and protecting its users from the wind.
Via its large area of solar panels and south-facing glazing, the building makes maximum use of solar radiation. The compact shape of the building and efficient wall insulation reduce heat loss. Low-tech ventilation is used to recover the significant amount of heat emitted by the building’s occupants, while making it more comfortable and preventing any problems with mould growth in premises that are closed for several months of the year.
Client: Swiss Alpine Club, section Chaussy
Program: hut with 116 beds, (6 dorms with 12 places, 5 dorms with 4 places, 1 dorm with 24 places), refectory, professional kitchen, techniques
Civil engineer: Alpatec SA
HVAC engineer: Tecnoservice Engineering SA
The post Steel-clad mountain hut by Savioz Fabrizzi
Architectes wraps over an Alpine ridge appeared first on Dezeen.
Inspiré par l’excellent projet Skywalk du Grand Canyon, le designer français Pierre-Yves Chays a imaginé à Chamonix un sol en verre permettant une vue à 360° impressionnante sur les Alpes. Un cube de verre du plus bel effet, à découvrir en détails et en images dans la suite de l’article.
Zaha Hadid has revealed images of her addition to the Messner Mountain Museum, a string of buildings dotted through the Dolomites of northern Italy.
For the sixth and final Messner Mountain Museum building, Zaha Hadid Architects has designed a softly curved building that will tunnel right through the peak of Mount Kronplatz, which forms part of the Kronplatz ski resort.
Like the five other museum buildings, the structure will house exhibitions exploring mountainous regions around the world. A pointed glass canopy will mark the entrance to the building, while a viewing platform will extend from the rockface on the opposite side.
“A composition of fluid, interconnected volumes, the 1000 square-metre MMM Corones design is carved within the mountain and informed by the geology and topography of its context,” says the studio.
Construction is already underway and the museum is set to open in 2014.
The Messner Mountain Museum also includes a building in a converted castle, completed by Italian studio EM2 in 2011.
Zaha Hadid Architects has several buildings nearing completion at the moment, including a university block in Hong Kong and an undulating cultural centre in Azerbaijan. See more architecture by Zaha Hadid »
Here’s a project description from Zaha Hadid Architects:
Zaha Hadid Architects will design the sixth and final Messner Mountain Museum at Plan de Corones, South Tyrol, Italy. In collaboration with Reinhold Messner, one of the world’s most renowned mountaineers, as well as Kronplatz, the largest ski resort in the region, the Messner Mountain Museum (MMM Corones) is embedded within Mount Kronplatz.
“Located at the top of Mount Kronplatz with its unique views of the Dolomites, MMM Corones is the final piece in my series of mountain museums. Dedicated to the great rock faces of the world, the museum will focus on the discipline of mountaineering,” explains Reinhold Messner.
Inaugurated in 2003, the Concordia 2000 Peace Bell was the first step in combining cultural facilities with the sporting and recreational amenities at Mount Kronplatz. The MMM Corones adds a further cultural and educational element to this popular Alpine destination.
A composition of fluid, interconnected volumes, the 1000 sq. m. MMM Corones design is carved within the mountain and informed by the geology and topography of its context. A sharp glass canopy, like a fragment of glacial ice, rises from the rock to mark and protect the museum’s entrance.
Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects
Design: Zaha Hadid, Patrik Schumacher
Project Architect: Cornelius Schlotthauer
Design Team: Cornelius Schlotthauer Peter Irmscher
Execution Team: Peter Irmscher Markus Planteu Claudia Wulf
Structural Engineer: IPM
Mechanical Engineer + Fire Protection: Jud & Partner
Electrical Engineer: Studio GM
The post Messner Mountain Museum Corones
by Zaha Hadid Architects appeared first on Dezeen.
Les Iglu Hotels sont aujourd’hui 6 répartis entre les Alpes et les Pyrénées, entre l’Andorre, la Suisse et l’Allemagne. Reconstruits chaque saison avec plus de 3000 tonnes de neige, ils offrent un cadre incroyablement atypique neutre en CO2 et respectant l’environnement. Un projet éco-respectueux et amusant.
Réalisé par Tim Pierce, From Winter of Wells : The Documentary a pu notamment suivre Jossi Wells et ses performances en ski. Des images splendides en vidéo, sur une musique de The Checks qui donnent envie de découvrir le documentaire. Trailer dans la suite de l’article.
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Designer Noé Duchaufour Lawrance has fitted out an alpine ski lodge in the French Alps with a trunk-like hearth, curved fir walls and a floating bed.
The chunky fireplace is anchored to the centre of a family living room, located beneath the sloping timber eaves on the three-storey Chalet Béranger’s top floor.
Desks, chairs and other objects by Duchaufour Lawrance are placed around each room alongside other designer furniture pieces.
Wall and floors of both fir and Vals stone surround a Jacuzzi on the first floor, while concrete floors can be found in rooms elsewhere.
We’ve also recently featured designs for a lodge with a sloping roof you can ski over – take a look here.
See also: our story about a Paris gallery with a white Corian interior that Duchaufour Lawrance designed in 2010.
Photography is by Vincent Leroux.
Here’s some more text from Noé Duchaufour Lawrance:
Chalet Béranger
Far from the geometric construction methods of a traditional chalet, the interior architecture of this family home is a domestic landscape whose forms emerge from the ground like small functional mountains rising from a valley.
Resolutely fluid and modern, the result is a set of lines and organic forms composed around a wooden ribbon.
A large, main room is set above the whole construction, defining the central point of the chalet where the family comes together around a warm hearth.
St Martin de Belleville (French Alps)- 2011
Climbers in the Alps can now spend their nights sleeping in a tube that cantilevers over the edge of a mountain.
Top: photograph by Francesco Mattuzzi
Named New Refuge Gervasutti, the survival unit was designed by Italian architects LEAPfactory, who specialise in modular accommodation for extreme environments.
The tube was prefabricated off-site and airlifted to the site by helicopters.
Above: photograph by Marco Destefanis
A red pattern decorates the structure’s exterior to make it visible to climbers and mountaineers, who will often be approaching from a distance.
Above: photograph by Michelangelo Filippi
Bunk beds and storage closets occupy the back of the pod, whilst a living room with integrated kitchen and dining table are located inside the cantilever.
Above: photograph by Michelangelo Filippi
A large window gives guests a wide view of the landscape outside and an integrated computer provides detailed information about the weather and climate.
Another survival bunker we’ve featured protects its inhabitants from attack rather than the weather – see that mobile, indestructible dwelling here.
Photography is by Gughi Fassino, apart from where otherwise stated.
Above: Photograph by Marco Destefanis
Here’s a more detailed explanation from LEAPfactory:
“New Refuge Gervasutti” by LEAPfactory
This, the first alpine refuge of the latest generation, it provides the optimal combination of comfort, safety and respect for the environment. It was installed in mid October 2011 in Courmayeur (IT) on the Freboudze glacier, in front of the spectacular East face of the Grandes Jorasses of the Mont Blanc Range. It is now ready for use by mountaineers and climbers.
The Gervasutti refuge was commissioned by CAI Torino, the Italian Alpine Club. Under the guidance of SUCAI the subsection of CAI Torino and the Ski Mountaineering School, the project was realised thanks to the works team coordinated by the LEAPfactory project managers Luca Gentilcore and Stefano Testa.
Above: Photograph by Michelangelo Filippi
The refuge represents the pinnacle of achievement of LEAPfactory, (the acronym means Living, Ecological, Alpine Pod) an Italian Company that designs, creates and produces modular structures which have minimal impact on the environment.
The realisation of the refuge is a great achievement, in that the materials used are of a high standard and use sophisticated technology capable of handling the problems of extreme temperatures and the difficulties of installation, given the altitude and the position in the midst of a glacier.
Each module is entirely prefabricated, from the outer protective shell to the interior fittings. All the modules were transported by helicopter thanks to their light weight and assembled on site in just a few hours.
The modules’ particular design means that they can be planned and constructed based on the specific requirements and can be customised depending on the location where they are to be positioned, in order to make them in keeping with the surrounding environment.
The modular structure is an ideal way to solve the specific requirements of any particular location and it allows for future expansion and the replacement of damaged parts over the life of the module.
The living area is lit in the daytime by a big panoramic window facing towards the valley and it contains a kitchen, a table and seating. The sleeping area is equipped with bunk beds and spaces for the storage of gear.
The comfortable wooden interior finish recalls a traditional mountain hut and is intended to make a stay in the LEAP module, a pleasing and relaxing experience.
Its integrated monitoring station provides instant information on the interior comfort and the out-door weather conditions and processes data which can be distributed via the Web. The total electrical requirements are provided by the photovoltaic panels integrated in the outer shell.
The exterior colours, easily recognisable at a distance, are an important reference point for mountaineers. The outer textural design is inspired by the shaved straight stitch of mountain pullovers to evoke warmth and comfort.
LEAP is a project that proposes a change in lifestyle as great as that promised by the Radical Architectural Utopias. In the sixties, the Archigram collective designed robotic self-moving “Walking Cities”. On more practical grounds they tried to produce “Living Pods” (such as the Cushicle or the Sutaloon), self-sufficient capsules for survival in hostile situations, these became also an inspiration for those aspiring to a non traditional lifestyle.
Also in development at LEAPfactory is a project studying disposal of human waste and other refuse, a problem which remains one of the greatest challenges for those who frequent the mountains and other places to be protected. The LEAP objective is focused on resolving those problems through the development of a module dedicated to the elimination of refuse for sensitive locations, like the high mountains and all such places, where it is difficult to dispose of it.
Credits
Architects: Luca Gentilcore / Gandolfi & Gentilcore, Stefano Testa / Cliostraat
Design Team: Edoardo Boero, Marilena Cambuli, Massimo Teghille
Structural engineering: Luca Olivari / Olivari Composite Engineering, Andrea Bruzzone
Electrical engineering: EDF-ENR spa, Carlo Sasso, Andrea Sasso, Giampaolo Pittatore, Enrico Pons
Brand Design: Massimo Teghille & Undesign
Other consultants: Alberto Morino (geologia), Federico Valfrè di Bonzo (nivologia e valanghe)
Owner: Italian Alpine Club CAI Turin
Promoted to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the SUCAI Ski Mountaineering School
Cost: 250.000,00 € (Total budget)
Design phase: sept. 2009 – dec 2010
Construction phase: may 2011 – oct 20100
Realization: Poligamma, Biella (composite materials), GVM Arreda, Torino (interiors), Plat Andrea, Aosta (on site works)
Nuova Capanna Gervasutti numbers:
30 square metres of usable space
6 contact points with the ground
2500 kg total weight
12 bed spaces
2.5 Kwh of solar energy produced
2 day to install unit
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