An inverted curtain wall in the mountains
About the project
- Product type
- Windows and glass doors, Front doors, Curtain wall and glass roofs
- Carpenter manufacturer
- Ecostyle Fermeture
- Name of products
- Espace® O.C. 70TH window, Comète® 70TH door, Univers® 54 curtain wall, Univers® 54 glass wall
Set up at almost 2,700 m altitude
Miroiterie S.I.B (69), a seasoned specialist in high-altitude worksites, supplied and installed Installux curtain walls for the Varet gondola garage, transformed into a panoramic dining area.
The Varet gondola garage, on the Aiguille Rouge (highest point of the Les Arcs ski resort in Savoie), is located at 2,680 m altitude. Its roof has been converted into a terrace with a panoramic solarium and a café-restaurant, close to the start of a new attraction: a zip line offering gliding over 1,800 metres and speeds of up to 130 km/h. The challenge for the Les Arcs / Peisey-Vallandry operator is to adapt the ski area to climate change by offering new activities over a longer period of the year.
The conversion of the garage roof into a panoramic dining area features large Installux bay windows overlooking the void above the valley. Work took place in August 2021 for delivery in spring 2022. The project covers over 400 m² of curtain walls.
A challenge of size
This high-mountain project represented a real work of art entrusted to high-mountain experts. S.I.B manager Michel Lanty detailed the use of Installux's range 60 (Univers 54). On this project, the frames are trapezoidal, with a large bay from the restaurant and a glazed corner both overlooking the void.
These two large curtain walls overhang the former competition track, which made installation from the outside impossible. The curtain wall therefore had to be fabricated upside down and installed from the inside. In particular, manufacturing the curtain wall upside down required careful consideration of the waterproofing, which had to be modified.
The bay window is an Installux model 8100, which when turned upside down, has a protruding part on the outside at the bottom. Although unintentional, it adds character to the structure.
Installux solutions for Ultra-performance
TestimonyThe Univers 54 façade system from Installux, with aluminum profiles, was the obvious choice to meet the extreme technical constraints. The glass is treated for enhanced thermal and solar efficiency, and double-laminated ensures acoustic attenuation.
"Thanks to the curtain wall combined with very large glazing (over six meters) we were able to offer a solution that took into account the altitude and wind resistance requirements. The curtain wall is self-supporting with a reinforcing steel structure that gives very good structural stability."
Michel LANTY
S.I.B
Specific know-how from the installer
TestimonyMiroiterie S.I.B managed the logistics and installation with specific mountain know-how. The waterproofing was carefully designed to resist frost, UV rays and mountain phenomena that could impact the structure.
"A rarer constraint of the job was that the building overlooks the ski slope, and it was impossible to install the curtain wall from the outside as is usually done. So the curtain wall was reversed and installed from the inside."
Frédéric Revret,
project manager business development at Installux.