“Contemporary Alpine architecture”

This exhibition put on show the winning designs of the “Town of Sesto Prize 2006” Alpine architecture competition, suggesting ideas for study and research into what is specific to Alpine architecture.

The “Laurent Ferretti” Mountain Observatory of the Courmayeur Foundation and the Fondation Grand Paradis, with the patronage of the Valley d’Aosta Institute of Architects, jointly organized the Exhibition, which was held at the Villeneuve Elementary School from 5 July to 24 August 2008. The “Town of Sesto” prize began 14 years ago on the initiative of the Sesto Cultural Association of Sesto Pusteria (Bolzano), and was held for the fourth time in 2006. The 2006 edition included no less than 419 designs of modern architecture of the Alps, with architects from 9 countries taking part. All the designs shown in the Exhibition have been documented through pictures, photographs, architectural designs and texts, and illustrated in the catalogue: individual houses, condominiums, hotels, schools, museums, markets, fire stations, urban redevelopment and engineering works such as bridges and cable car systems. The exhibition has represented a process of research, and an investigation into Alpine architecture, in a debate between rustic tradition and contemporary interpretation, against a background of growing tourist trade expansion, which is characteristic of the Alps. The intention is to set in motion a modern understanding of Alpine culture, to define a new authenticity. The collaboration between the Courmayeur Foundation, the Fondation Grand Paradis and the Valle d’Aosta Institute of Architects is part of a programme of collaboration between institutions which in various capacities are concerned with the mountain area of the Valle d’Aosta. Visiting the Exhibition has allowed people to get to know about the activities of the Courmayeur Foundation and the Foundation Grand Paradis through a computer workstation available to the public.
"The specific characteristics of mountain architecture" was the title of the Round Table organized by the “Laurent Ferretti” Mountain Observatory of the Courmayeur Foundation, the Foundation Grand Paradis and the Valle d’Aosta Institute of Architects, that was held on Thursday 10 July 2008 at the Maison Bruil of Introd, which is a splendid example of Valle d’Aosta rural architecture.

This was the first joint project initiative of the Courmayeur Foundation, the Fondation Grand Paradis and the Valle d’Aosta Institute of Architects, and it aims to have as its objective, through thorough study of Alpine architectural topics, the progressive realization of a network of internal and external relationships of the Valle with people whose scientific and professional work concerns the mountain, and the analysis of aspects of mountain architecture, in synergy with the various institutional players operating in the region.
The Round Table saw a discussion on the theme of new Alpine architecture, its specific architectural requirements and its fundamental importance for the Alpine cultural landscape. It was chaired by professor Antonio De Rossi, Deputy Director of the Department of Architectural and Industrial Design of the Institute of Technology of Turin, and those who took part were, among others, the architect Sebastiano Brandolini, who was a member of the Sesto Jury, architects Walter Angonese and Gianmatteo Romegialli, whose works, which were given special mention at the Sesto Culture Prize 2006, are on show at the Contemporary Alpine Architecture Exhibition, and the young Alto Adige architect Gerd Bergmeister, who is already well-know at an international level.