High-altitude design in Courmayeur

COVER: courtesy Courmayeur Design Week

From March 10-13, 2022, at the foot of Mont Blanc, there will be the Courmayeur Design Weekend—an event dedicated to the top in European design and architecture.

This edition’s theme is “Points of view” and will include a rich program of meetings, debates, exhibitions and installations around this city in the Aosta Valley, especially in the brand-new Chalet de Tendance, aka the Courmayeur Sport Center, which was renamed for the occasion.

This space will be the beating heart of the event. It is where design brands and local designers will display icons and new releases, providing visions and experiences which are dedicated to design. From the historic wash-houses in Courmayeur to the peak of Mont Blanc, the squares, and the ski lift, Courmayeur is getting ready to become the perfect place to be for design lovers and designers. Standing out among the important architects and designers, there will be Carlo Ratti, Marc Sadler, and Gino Garbellini.

The Chalet de Tendance, decorated in a kaleidoscope of vertical lines, patterns and colors (the setup was designed by Park Associati and made by ALPI and Cesare Roversi, with patterns by Jannelli&Volpi and the support of CARDEX, Herman Miller and Arper), will host talks in an informal and engaging way, while the squares and wash-houses will be the new stages for events and installations. For example, in the center of Piazza Brocherel there will be an XXL version of the iconic Vanity Fair by Poltrona Frau to welcome visitors, while Piazza Abbé Henry will host a large mountain “urban living room” highlighted by the “bois” of Les Bois du Mont Blanc in an extra-large version (thanks to the capabilities of the local craftsman), the Tolomeo lamp by Artemide and the large carpet spotted like a cow, printed specifically by EcoContract.

While strolling through Via Roma towards Piazza Petigax we can visit the exhibition of design objects displayed in boutique windows before arriving to the “I’m going to live in the snow” exhibition: 20 drawings by great architects for the skiCAD in 2003 by Michele De Lucchi, Antonio Citterio, Richard Sapper, Alessandro Mendini, Ugo La Pietra, Matteo Thun, Marc Sadlet, Massimo Iosa Ghini and many others, collected around a desk (lit by Axolight) where designers of the next generation are invited to make their drawings in order to become a part of the important skiCAD collection.

Finally, in the Grand Hotel Royal & Golf lounge, among spritz and martini, you are able to check out the latest Dixpari collection from the Candelo sisters, a spin-off of the family business which is presenting a debut line of eco-sustainable, luxury products. For the bravest of us, design will even reach the top of Mont Blanc with “Fuoripista” (the brand and name of a wood and glass exercise bike designed by Studio Adriano Design and produced by Elite), which will allow visitors to test their athletic strength with a lack of oxygen amidst minimalist design and state-of-the-art technology.

To close out the evening, there will be an event for everyone at the striking light installation from Progetto CMR in the historic washrooms by Verrand, Dolonne, Entreves and via Donzelli, or at the Punta Helbronner cafeteria which was redesigned by Kartell.  

All that’s left to do is attend the talks with journalists and sector professionals and treat ourselves to a high-quality weekend of design amidst ski competitions, special meals, and debates about ethics and sustainability.

Where: Chalet de Tendance and the city center, Courmayeur, Italy
When: March 10-13, 2022

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