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Originally named “La Casetta” villa, the Chalet across from the Cervinia ski lifts designed by Bettiol Architecture was demolished and rebuilt to become the Abri des Skieurs.

Right from the start, there was a clear intention to demolish and rebuild the edifice, seeking to upscale its aesthetic qualities. The aim was also to generate a new architecture suited to its prominent position close to the aerial lift to Plan Maison, but above all, an energy-efficient architecture that would qualify as Class A.

The leitmotif of the project was, without a doubt, a continuous search for spatial articulation by attempting to extend the building as much as possible and reharmonizing the proportions of a building that would otherwise have seemed tall and narrow, given its inherent characteristics.

The core of the configuration is the large double height living area on the ground floor, including the living room, dining area, a fireplace and piano corner. This constitutes a first space identifiable from the outside by a very large curtain framed by two stone pilasters and surmounted by the imposing truss on the façade, and by equally large windows on the sides. This allows visitors to distinguish the glass and wooden design, resting on a stone basement and topped by the typical slate roof.

Heading upstairs is the second section of the residence, consisting of the bedrooms. It is developed on two floors and surrounded on each side by a rough wooden balcony that contributes to enlarging its silhouette and distinguished vertically by twin pillars that define the pace of the façade.

Finally, the building’s staircase constitutes a third dimension that passes through and simultaneously holds together all the floors of the villa, from the basement to the attic, culminating externally in a glazed turret that diffuses a homogenous overhead light, creating a chimney of light that sculpts this space from the inside as well.

The entire basement will be made of reinforced concrete and the small emerging part will be clad externally in stone, while a rough timber match with the rest of the building will dress its interior. The ground floor will be further surrounded by a basement structure of approximately 45 cm of stone on which the light structure with made entirely of rough larch wood.

The residence consists of coarse larch boards left exposed, as are the floors, with the exception of the entrance hall and the kitchen, which consist of a rough stone finish brushed for functional reasons.

In accordance with the customer’s wishes, the aim was to create a wooden jewel-box that at first glance conceals the fixed furniture such as cupboards, bookcases, sideboards, and from which the modern, mountain-style furnishings such as tables, chairs, sofas, desks, bedside tables and beds seem to emerge by contrast.

To discover the project Abri des Skieurs of Bettiol Architecture.