Gourette ski resort | 2023, Alice Wijnen, France

Architects: R architecture (Alice Wijnen & Guillaume Relier) and WEEK
Lead Architect: R architecture (Alice Wijnen & Guillaume Relier)
Associate Architects: WEEK
General Contractor: DL Pyrénées, SN Casadebaig, GMT, Thirant, INEO, Therm’Air
Client: Pyrénées-Atlantiques Department
Photographer: WEEK

In the listed site of Gourette, the Pyrénées Atlantiques department chose to implement a renovation of the ski area, anticipating the challenges of a transition that is now emerging in mountain territories. The architectural project takes into consideration the scale and role of pedestrians, skiers, and the grand landscape. By embracing the area's mining past, the architects’ goal is to both reveal and hide the buildings in the territory using steel for its enduring and demountable lightness.

The metallic cladding is coherent with the technical constraints and aligns with the site's history. The buildings are designed with the idea of dismantling and, consequently, the impact left on the landscape. The ski resort of Gourette promises to be active in both summer and winter and the new architecture of the site follows this new vitality with buildings that offer a fresh connection with the landscape, defining a new framework for integration.