There's nothing traditional about the Cabane du Vélan. Modern and unique, it stands above the Valsorey valley in the foothills of Mont Vélan, proudly facing the imposing Grand Combin. Built of wood and clad in metal, its almond-shaped form is reminiscent of the prow of a ship towering majestically over a rocky ridge at an altitude of over 2,600m. Its shape, orientation and very precise positioning on the ridge of the Glacier du Vélan moraine make it a close reference to the landscape and the specific topography of the site. A very important link exists between this autonomous form and its natural context. The unusual, tall and narrow existing building blends harmoniously into the harsh landscape of this mineral desert.
The extension remains in the same vein, seeking to maintain its balance on the ridgeline by positioning itself on its axis upstream of the existing hut, which thus remains the figurehead. The extension also resonates with the existing hut through its shape. The spindle or almond shape of the existing building becomes a lozenge with cut-off points—in other words, an elongated hexagon—a geometric simplification that echoes the original form. In this position, on the ridge, a form of aerodynamism allows the project to blend better with the landscape and the elements than a simple shoebox would have done.
The new volume is modest. Because of its position to the rear of the existing hut, it is clearly in a servant/served relationship: the extension does not seek to play the leading roles, to steal the limelight from the historic hut; it is positioned as a complement, an aid to the main building. In railway parlance, we would speak of a ‘tender’, the wagon placed immediately after the steam locomotive to supply it with fuel and water.
Around the hut, the topography has been slightly reworked, as the excavated elements from the extension's basement have been reused on site to fill in the existing small combe and create a hard exterior terrace. Made up of rock and fill held back by a retaining wall that also houses the woodshed and ski room, this development makes it possible to reuse the rock from the extension's basement work.
