The origins of an original community
To talk about our future, we began by looking back to whence we came. Les Arcs, a resort in the plural, sets the tone from the outset.
The resort of les Arcs is the fruit of a visionary project, born in the spirit of a collective of particularly creative and committed avant-garde men and women. We can talk of an architectural Utopia, so determining a factor was the social vison in les Arcs in the way the development was conceived and in the life of the resort.
Les Arcs’ creators, the property developer Roger Godino and the guide Robert Blanc, were mountain born and bred and were therefore particularly attached to the beauty and continuity of the area. To build the various villages of Les Arcs from scratch, they naturally chose architects and a leader, Charlotte Perriand, who were also strongly influenced by this high-altitude scenery.
Together, the founders built a vision of what this new leisure destination should be. A vision built around strong concepts, still as modern and inspiring today and which still nourishes the «Spirit of les Arcs» so dear to the pioneers.
This attachment to the land, humankind’s place in the natural world gave rise to Les Arcs’ underlying principles
• Humankind and its place in the natural environment are at the heart of the project.
• Concentrating the living space and integrating it into the surroundings to leave the focus on nature.
• Democratising access to skiing.
• Providing holidaymakers with a cultural element and an opening onto the realm of the arts.
• Creating completely pedestrianised «villages» and neighbourhoods, leading to harmonious living and a particular liveliness.
• Providing holidaymakers with a cultural element and an opening onto the realm of the arts.
• Being visionary, innovating and leaving room for the imaginary.
This history and these values explain les Arcs’ attachment to establishing a responsible development strategy. It is the cornerstone of the legitimacy of our commitment on social awareness issues.
Our Statement