In the heart of the Alps, inside Europe’s highest mountains, an ancient fortress lies perched on a rocky terrace overlooking the Aosta Valley: Châtel-Argent. Constructed in the 12th century on a strategic location, its name poetically alludes to the silvery hue of its stones, which catch the sunlight and cast a bright glow across the landscape.

Together with Fondation Grand Paradis and the Municipality of Villeneuve, we issued a call for projects to transform the fortress into a mountain refuge, reusing the spaces of the church and the tower, and designing a modular shelter for hikers that can be replicated throughout the area.

Competition publication

The mission outcomes have been collected into a dedicated publication.

Reuse Italy’s Dossier n. 8 – Reuse the Fortress is a collection of the first 50 projects, together with articles and analyses to frame the cultural event into the history of that heritage and look towards possible futures.

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Documentary

A short film about Châtel-Argent in Villeneuve: this immersive documentary reveals the secrets and stories nestled within the crumbling walls of a forgotten civilization. What tales do these ancient stones whisper to those who listen closely?

2nd

Youssef Ramadan, Shehab Yasser, Omar Walid

1st

Federico Vidilini, Marta Bednarczyk

3rd

Anna Marte, Dierk Pressel, Serafin Lindau, Luca Sophie Oszwald

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Competition's Jury

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Awards ceremony and Exhibition