AVORIAZ 1800 ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE

Blending into

the landscape

The architecture mimics the surrounding landscape, blending beautifully into the setting. The resort’s unique contours, the perfect example of a harmonious marriage between nature and modernity, have earned Avoriaz official recognition as one of the great architectural achievements of the 20th century.  

Jacques Labro won the Prix de Rome in 1961. He was 26 years old when he met Gérard Brémond. A little later, he met Jean-Jacques Orzoni and Jean-Marc Roques – his co-founders of the Atelier d’Architecture d’Avoriaz (AAA) – and through a brand new concept, designed the ideal recreational resort from scratch: 209,000 square metres for the construction of a vehicle-free resort in line with the vision of Jean Vuarnet, the 1960 Olympic downhill skiing champion.

The architects totally abandoned the usual geometric lines and, instead, played with the relief to position apartment blocks, chalets and amenities and intertwine them with skiable paths. They were in fact guided by the sole principle of adapting the architecture to the mountain setting without copying the chalets of Savoie or the density of the cities.

They strived to combine their shapes, volumes and materials with the landscape and the mountain environment. The Sosna, Thuya and Araucarya apartment buildings are the best demonstration of this, along with the chalets opposite. Indeed, their architectural design blends harmoniously with the natural setting, abandoning the beaten tracks of tradition and taking liberties with the usual vertical lines and right angles.

Each building is unique in terms of both contour and volume, mimicking the curves and the scale of the natural relief in an expressionist approach that emphasises the surrounding scenery.

To Jacques Labro, this living architecture follows the « organic » architectural movement, in line with the ideas of Franck Lloyd Wright and Aval Aalto. It rejects the urban rigour, the neo-rusticism and other pre-existing designs and models built during the same period.

The buildings are placed to fit the relief and to optimise sun exposure and the mountain views. They back onto the bottom of the mountainside, they are found within mounds or stretching high above the plateau, refusing repetition and striking a balance between the natural environment and the architecture. The roof is like a fifth wall, inclining with the slope of the terrain.

In Avoriaz 1800, wood is everywhere. The facades are covered in tiles made of red cedarwood, like those traditionally used on the rooftops of Savoie. This architectural mimicry is also seen in the colours used, and the shingles are left untreated to take on natural hues with the passing of time and the elements. Indeed, the south-facing walls turn a mink-grey colour, those facing north become ash-grey, and the east and west walls turn a chestnut brown, like tree bark or the surrounding rock. They have deliberately been left unvarnished.

The roofs slope all the way down to the ground, stabilising the build-up of snow that blankets the buildings throughout the winter. Clinging to these sloped facades, snow helps the buildings to blend into the natural surroundings, offering a pleasant snowscape even amongst the architectural features.

• In 2011, a pilot apartment building achieved an annual power consumption of approximately 70 kwh/m². That’s 44% less than required by heat regulations and it was thanks to technical and architectural features such as triple glazing, two-way ventilation and glass walls to heat incoming fresh air. With this construction, Pierre & Vacances Group won a contract in the « new constructions » category of a regional call for projects in « Low Energy Buildings » which was launched by the regional agency, ADEME, the Conseil Régional Rhône-Alpes and the Agence Régionale de l’Habitat.
• In 2008, Avoriaz initiated the creation of an international think tank on the theme of sustainable development best practices, bringing together the world’s most eco-friendly resorts.
• On 31st October 2012, at the World Snow Awards in London, Avoriaz won first prize in the category of most innovating ski resort in sustainable development, beating both Jackson Hole (USA) and Paradiski.
• In 2016, the Amara apartment building (Pierre & Vacances Premium) was awarded a seal of approval by Clef Verte, the world’s leading certifying body for eco-friendly tourist accommodation.