LES ARCS IN PICTURES: The Architecture (Part 2)

The architecture of Les Arcs is much maligned.  At least that's my view.... There was a vision, an overarching idea, which the founding fathers took very seriously.  More on the background here.

Arc 1800 formed stage 2 of the development.  Like the much smaller Arc 1600, there was an emphasis on the design, and Charlotte Perriand took the lead on the interiors.  But this chantier was on a much larger scale. Here's the plan for the Charvet site:

The blocks were built during a tight building window.  Everything had to fit within a seven month timetable.  The emphasis was on large numbers of studio apartments.  Here's the design for Pierra Menta.  These apartments are 30m sq.  They follow the slope of the hill, so that, from above, there is no hint of the scale of the immeubles that lie below.

Here's the inside of the Belles Challes block, in Charvet.  This links directly with the Lauzieres building, which is slightly up-hill (and slightly up-market).  

Although the blocks are large, great importance was placed on two factors.  First, having an integrated kitchen/living area (not sure there is much option given the size of the studios).  And second, ensuring that there is no "vis-a-vis" - ie the flats open straight onto views of the valley.

The final third of the following video includes interviews with some of the architects, and a Grand-Designs style overview of the construction of the blocks, including the pre-fabricated bathroom/kitchen unit produced off-site and loaded into place using a crane:

More on the background at the Charlotte Perriand Pompidou Centre exhbition from a few years back, as well as in the Carnet de Montagne book, available in resort.  The tourist office do guided tours during the season, if you're in Les Arcs and want to know more.....