Tignes Transformation

A hydro electric dam that was constructed in the 1950s led to the creation of two new settlements, namely Tignes Val Claret and Tignes les Broisses. Tignes Val Claret went on to become a popular skiing resort for high altitude skiing enthusiasts, and until now Tignes les Broisses, located lower down on the French Alps, has been living in the shadow of its neighbor. But not for too much longer, as a new name and an eco-friendly plan to transform this village will be getting underway shortly.

A hydro electric dam that was constructed in the 1950s led to the creation of two new settlements, namely Tignes Val Claret and Tignes les Broisses. Tignes Val Claret went on to become a popular skiing resort for high altitude skiing enthusiasts, and until now Tignes les Broisses, located lower down on the French Alps, has been living in the shadow of its neighbor. But not for too much longer, as a new name and an eco-friendly plan to transform this village will be getting underway shortly.

Tignes les Broisses will be known as Tignes 1800 and the plans for the village are nothing less than state-of-the-art. It will become an eco-village that will also have a ski centre like nothing ever seen before. While the village will be extremely hi-tech, it will also be a low-energy facility, with designers retaining the stone and timber designs that have become synonymous with the Alps. Some of the historic structures will still remain, such as the church that the villagers moved and reconstructed stone by stone when their original village was flooded for the construction of the dam. The village will feature new facilities, including bars, cozy restaurants and numerous artisan shops. Transportation will be offered in the form of shuttle buses and vehicles will be required to park in underground car parks to minimize the emission of CO2. An apartment development is also on the cards for the village, as well as an MGM hotel. Designers of the hotel have taken the steps to insulate balconies to retain heat and even the heating in the new apartments will be running on biofuel. The apartments and hotel will be able to accommodate approximately one thousand five hundred skiing enthusiasts, and there will be luxury services available such as a Jacuzzi, indoor pool, beauty treatment center and a gym and fitness centre.

The first phase of the project to transform the village into Tigness 1800 will start this year, and it is predicted that the entire project will be complete by 2014. Skiers will be able to look forward to enjoying the slopes while supporting a village that is playing its part in the conservation of the Alps and the beauty of nature.