French Ski and winter sports resort, Flaine has a large ski area with 265km of slopes: ski holiday booking and ski equipment rental in France.

Le Grand Massif
Version française
English version
|  Flaine Tourist Office - Tel : + 33 (0)4 50 90 80 01
You are here : Discover Flaine > Creation
 
Discover Flaine
 
creation of flaine

Flaine or an encounter between Man, Art and Montain

The site was discovered in 1959 by the geophysicist Eric Boissonnas and the Swiss architect Gérard Chervaz, who went on to succeed in their bid to create a fine example of urban development, architecture and design, where short-term profitability would be second to aesthetics and care of the environment.

 

 
The architect ...Marcel Breuer

Eric and Sylvie Boissonnas entrusted Flaine’s design to Marcel Breuer (1902-1981). The eminent Bauhaus architect designed well-known buildings around the world : the “Palais de l'Unesco” in Paris, the Whitney Museum and the Flushing Meadow Sports Park in New york, the Bijenkorf in Rotterdam as well as furniture, the Wassily chair.

Eric Boissonnas - flaine

  

Functionnality and integration

Right from the design stage, Eric Boissonnas and Marcel Breuer were careful not to disturb the natural surroundings and integrate the resort into the receiving mountain. In other words, the general layout blends in with the environments contours, and the different levels which make up the resort can not be seen from one to the other. The result is a feeling of privacy and tranquillity.

The master plan, the ski runs designed by champion Emile Allais, the technical network for electric cables, gondola lift stations on the same level as the ski runs, even the colour of concrete reminds the surrounding rocks, everything was inspired by the ambition to find a balance between functionnality and integration.


 

old cable car flaine

  

A whole string of innovations

Breuer not only used his imagination but also the best and most innovative techniques of the time:
    • Technical tunnel network : not a single electric cable is visible from the exterior;
    • A cable television network showing Flaine television programmes from 1981 to 1986,
    • Snow making facilities guaranteeing artificial snow cover from 1973 (the first in Europe).
    • Cable car and gondola lift stations on the same level as the ski runs.
    • Pedestrian centre with links between the different levels of the resort.
    • A non-polluting gas heating plant (the first one in the mountains).

 

Upload the history and art brochure

Flaine: Art & Architecture

Discover art and architecture of the classified resort.

 
 
Flaine Tourist Office
Galerie marchande - Flaine Forum
74300 Flaine - France

Tel : + 33 (0)4 50 90 80 01



Home  |  Contact
bollé

Your ski holidays in France: welcome on French ski resort Flaine's official website
(ski area Grand Massif - Haute Savoie - France).
Find all information to prepare your skiing holidays in France : snow report and weather, webcam, ski,
freestyle snowboarding, ski area, the ski resort, accommodation (chalet, apartment, hotel, tourist residence, ...), après-ski ...