The Trient valley became increasingly busy at the turn of the 20th century as a result of the stagecoach in 1861 and the railway in 1906, both of which promoted its accessibility. It was a summer rendezvous for the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie. The architecture of this region is strongly marked by large buildings typical of the architecture of the golden age of Alpine tourism.
Today, the large buildings have been or are being renovated (thanks to the wealth of the commune) and converted into collective housing. However these apartments are not highly sought-after. Finhaut has around 400 inhabitants including people working on the Nant de Drance worksite. In 2015, this work will come to an end. The commune must prepare for the future and be an attractive place to live capable of maintaining the infrastructures currently in place in the village.
“The lifestyle of those living in the Alpine space is no different from that of town dwellers. Everyone has the same needs.” Thomas Egger
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Keep homes lived in throughout the year and develop a sustainable local economy.
It is important to underline the value of the main residence in mountain villages and to facilitate its existence, in order to maintain the number of inhabitants, shops and schools, and life in the mountains generally. It is a question of finding synergies between residents and tourists, valorising and facilitating the main residence in the mountains and limiting the number of closed shutters and ghost villages.
NEW PARADIGMS
Sustainable town in the mountains?
The urban fabric of Finhaut is a model of density. It would be possible to envisage developing here a small town / exemplary mountain district. Can this model of a dense and compact urban fabric be put to good use to recreate urban development in a more close-knit format?
FURTHER INFORMATION
WRITTEN & GRAPHIC DOCUMENTS
> IUKB_The Historical Development of Finhaut, 2012 (f)
> 6_Schupbach_Finhaut station, 2011 annex (f)
> Perriard-Volorio_The History of Tourism in Vallée de Trient 1991 (f)
> The History of Finhaut`s Development, 1996 (f)
> Iconography of Finhaut
> Studio Project, BAGNES, living in Vallée, 2007-2009 hepia (f)
> Atelier Eco-village, Apres-Ski, Harvard University
> The Atlas of Spatial Change in Switzerland (de)
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