Doppelmayr: The Grand Montets in Chamonix

After a year of studies, fine-tuning, and preparatory work, the Mountain Planet 2024 Exhibition in Grenoble is the occasion for the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc and Doppelmayr France to bring together the stakeholders of the Grands Montets reconstruction project and officially launch the construction phase of the various infrastructures.

Doppelmayr France has been awarded the contract for the design and construction of the facilities to replace the two sections of cable cars destroyed in the 2018 fire, as well as the reconstruction and redevelopment of the infrastructure at the summit station of the Aiguille of the Grands Montets. 

This contract, divided into seven lots, with a total value of 107.6 million euros, was awarded to the consortium formed by Doppelmayr France as part of a comprehensive project totaling 155 millioneuros.

The reconstruction of the ski lifts and infrastructure destroyed in the September 2018 fire leads to a complete and thoughtful redesign of the facilities at this legendary site. To be in harmony with the classified site of Mont Blanc, the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc has enlisted the talented architectural firm RPBW, founded by Renzo Piano. The fascination with the classified site of the Aiguille des Grands Montets, machinery, and the art of engineering has led to the design of a complex comprising four stations on two sections. The cable connecting the machines in two sections is not only physical but also metaphorical. It serves as a guiding thread in the design and materializes an ambition for coherence across all buildings. The stations consist of glass volumes housing the ski lift machinery, inspired by nature, crystals, and notably pyrite. Their structures are made of highly technical modular steel elements. Peripheral to the stations are all the functions related to operation, housed in opaque sections called "topos," each adapted in appearance to integrate seamlessly with the spirit of the location. For the Aiguille des Grands Montets, the soul of the classified site, a 20-meter cube is integrated into the slope, echoing the perfect geometry of pyrite. This crystal marks the end of the mechanical journey and the sublime beginning of the routes leading to the summit of the Aiguille des Grands Montets with humility, a privileged place for the Chamonix valley and all the peaks overlooking it. Through its architecture, this project aims to requalify the industrial site into a sustainable one and change the perception of ski lifts by transforming passenger transport into a journey.

At the heart of the classified site of Mont Blanc, the Grands Montets reconstruction site must be virtuous. In addition to the construction lots, the Doppelmayr France consortium will provide a set of logistical means aimed at limiting the use of helicopters and ground transportation. No less than 2 material cable cars (blondins), each with a capacity of 10 tons, will transport all materials and equipment from Argentière to the various construction sites. As for personnel, access to the Aiguille des Grands Montets will be ensured by a service cable car specially designed for the project (from the top of the Herse chairlift to the summit at 3,300 m). These facilities will be dismantled as soon as the permanent installations are put into service.

Doppelmayr France has recruited and brought together a consortium of specialized companies to successfully carry out this extraordinary project under challenging conditions. Companies such as MBTM, Spie Batignolles Génie Civil, Cogeis, Pichler, Pugnat TP, Altitude Construction, Mécamont, Boma Construction, and Egis will contribute their technical expertise and knowledge of the site to support Doppelmayr France. MBTM, specializing in civil engineering operations and the installation of ski lifts, is a historic partner of Doppelmayr France. Spie Batignolles Génie-Civil, together with Cogeis and Pichler, is responsible, among other things, for the construction of the summit infrastructures and the Crystal. Pugnat TP and Altitude Construction, specialists in earthworks and special foundations in constrained sites, are involved in all structures. Mécamont has designed and built the material cable cars and will be responsible for their operation. Boma Construction, with a concrete plant installed in Lognan, will supply all the concrete needed for construction, including some low-carbon concrete. Egis, an engineering firm, brings its expertise in interface monitoring to the consortium. Finally, Doppelmayr France, as the consortium's lead and coordinator, contributes its expertise in the design and manufacture of ski lifts to replace the two sections of cable cars.

The reconstruction of the two sections of ski lifts is an opportunity for the Compagnie du Mont Blanc to modernize access to the Aiguille des Grands Montets and offer future passengers a comfortable and contemplative journey. Thus, the first section from Argentière to Lognan will be equipped with a state-of-the-art monocable gondola consisting of 10-seat cabins. To align with the RPBW project, the stations will be adorned with walls of crystalline glass. The second section of the route from Lognan to the Aiguille des Grands Montets will be equipped with a detachable 3S cable car. This technology is specially designed to overcome the topographical challenges and extreme weather conditions of high mountains. The cabins will offer skiers and tourists 24 seats facing the majestic panorama of the Grands Montets site.