Located in a basin at an altitude of more than 1,200 meters at the foot of Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest peak, Courmayeur is one of the main destinations for alpinism and mountain hiking, visited by winter sports enthusiasts from all over the world but able to fascinate even in summer with its breathtaking green panoramas and the many possibilities offered by outdoor area networks. Among the main challenges of those who live on a daily basis in the mountains, the need to foster the economic growth of the area particularly resonates, respecting its natural characteristics, its rigor and environmental roughness with innovative and sustainable interventions. This demand was answered by the Courmayeur Climate Hub project, through which the Municipality of Courmayeur won the PNRR Call for Proposals for the Cultural and Social Regeneration of Historic Villages funded by the Next Generation EU.

In the center of Courmayeur lies the former Hotel Ange, owned by the municipality, which will house a new cultural center for research and reflection on climate change in the Alpine areas.The project curated by WAU Architects is part of intervention lines L1 and L2 of the Courmayeur Climate Hub, which are respectively concerned with the redevelopment of the former Hotel Ange and the recovery of the mural paintings inside the building.

The project – for which our team was responsible for the technical-economic feasibility study, design, and construction supervision – consists in a system of conservative, upgrading, and supplementary actions: among the re-functionalization interventions stand out the recovery and upgrading of the historic building of the former hotel compound, with particular emphasis on the hall and foyer on the first and second floors: the roofing of the hall ceiling and thermal insulation are now completed, and the wall finishes are applied, with the wall paintings fully covered to ensure their protection from the construction site work.

Drawing on its experience in restoration, WAU Architects approaches this project with a commitment to restore authenticity and the original narrative to history. Starting with in-depth research in the Historical Archives and exhaustive diagnostic analysis, the investigative path unveils the conceptual and visual essence of the heritage being restored, allowing the past to be reborn and the present to rediscover its identity.