Glacier 3000 offers guests full panoramic enjoyment again
Published: Thursday, Nov 14th 2024, 19:00
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Two years after the fire at the Glacier 3000 ski resort in Les Diablerets in the canton of Vaud, a new tourist complex with a panoramic restaurant has been inaugurated. The reconstruction according to the plans of Mario Botta was used as an opportunity to strengthen fire protection.
The inauguration ceremony took place on Thursday in the presence of the internationally renowned Ticino architect Mario Botta and the Vaud State Councillor responsible for tourism, Isabelle Moret.
The 81-year-old Botta was "very moved" to be able to witness the "rebirth" of his restaurant. The use of new technologies has made it even better, said Botta, who had already contributed to the original project in 2000 before withdrawing due to disagreements with the clients at the time.
State Councillor Moret expressed the hope that the new restaurant would become "as symbolic in the minds of visitors" as the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The glacier ski area, which is open all year round, will not only offer winter sports enthusiasts an "amazing experience", but also all visitors from Switzerland and abroad. The resort is a "beacon" in the canton's four-season tourism strategy, as the area offers numerous opportunities at different times of the year.
The total cost of the reconstruction amounted to 30 million francs. The most visible change was the cladding of the south façade of the building with over 600 photovoltaic panels. This enables the operators of the various restaurants to cover their energy requirements almost independently. The external appearance of the building is otherwise almost identical due to building regulations.
View as far as the Matterhorn
There are now three restaurant areas with a total capacity of 480 seats on three floors. A 250 square meter panoramic terrace has also been created on the roof, offering a view of the Matterhorn and 24 four-thousand-metre peaks.
The fire broke out in the Panorama restaurant on the night of September 18/19, 2022. No one was in the building at the time. No one was injured either. The cable car also remained intact and winter sports operations were able to resume around seven weeks after the fire broke out with a reduced gastronomic offering.
The exact cause of the fire is still unknown, but arson has already been ruled out. Investigators are assuming a technical problem.
©Keystone/SDA
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