Design on the slopes

The weekend dedicated to design and architecture returns to the summit of Mont Blanc: Courmayeur Design Week-end, an initiative now in its fourth edition thanks to a solid group of companies and studios who come together to celebrate the culture of design - after three editions in Valle D'Aosta and two in Pietrasanta.

The protagonists of these events are in fact sports, sailing in Tuscany and skiing in Courmayeur, but in the name of design. Paola Coronel, art director of the event, launches the theme for the 2024 edition, "one step forward", to suggest perspectives and actions capable of overcoming the present - which every day push companies and designers to raise the bar of content, materials and processes to improve and innovate.



And this is how each new Design Week-end becomes an informal occasion for share knowledge and innovation, bringing the advantage to an expanded level, since it is shared. The exhibitions and talks will take shape from this theme and will transform Courmayeur into a large thinking laboratory for four days - sponsored by Altagamma and ADI - Association for Industrial Design.

On Thursday 1 February the partner companies will talk about their "step forward" in the first of the scheduled talks, while the evening will continue in a chalet on the ski slopes and will end with a big descent at night, with skis and headlamps: "An experience that we have had many times over the years of skiCAD and which always leaves everyone breathless, for the thrill of living such an exciting experience together” comments Coronel.


Skyway – ph. Giacomo Buzio

Friday 2 February will be Skyway Monte Bianco day: at the top of Punta Helbronner, in the station customized by Kartell, guests will be able to exclusively enjoy the sunset at high altitude and taste the flavors of the Aosta Valley. Around 6.00 pm, in the underground theater of the Pavillon intermediate station, the speech of the main keynote speaker.

The 24th edition of skiCAD will be held on Saturday 3 February, the ski competition for architects and designers with different categories competing and with the Sacco armchair by Zanotta up for grabs, a historic prize for the last arrival or for the most sensational flight, for some years it has been awarded for different merits: "too many participants, who went down very slowly to win it" is the most common anecdote. For everyone, the awards ceremony will be at the Courmayeur Sport Center, where some of the contents on display will also be set up.


ph. Giacomo Buzio

The exhibition curated by Giulio Cappellini entitled "The brilliant ideas" will be set up with the concept designed for the Church of Sant'Agostino in Pietrasanta, but with a different purpose: the companies were asked to offer their pieces for an auction time whose proceeds will be used to support the activity of the "Doctors for Africa, CUAMM" Association.

The spaces of Courmayeur, such as the Waldensian Church, the Museum of the Alpine Guides, the small Brocherel and Petigax squares, the Abbé Henry square and the Foyer of the Conference Center will instead be the setting for as many installations, designed and created by the various partnerships between designers and companies.