Exhibition: Alpine Refuges, Between Earth and Sky

Since its inception in Auvergne in 1971 and later in Rhône-Alpes in 1976, the Regional Inventory’s staff has been crisscrossing this vast region to catalog, study, and promote the region’s rich cultural heritage. The Regional Inventory’s photographic collection includes hundreds of images of mountain huts in the Alps. Given current climate challenges, which have a particularly significant impact on mountain regions, documenting and preserving the memory of this architecture is essential. The mountain environment, along with the technical architectural challenges embodied by many of these mountain huts, makes them a truly fascinating subject for photography. The exhibition traces the approach taken by the Regional Inventory’s photographers in the mountains: whether approaching on foot or by helicopter, capturing the mountain hut within its natural environment, and highlighting the architectural features of these structures. The inclusion of interior layouts (dormitories, common rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms) serves to evoke the communal life that prevails within them. The exhibition is organized into three sections reflecting the photographic approach of the inventory campaigns: the first section, “Mountain Huts and the Mountains,” is devoted to the huts within their mountain setting; the second section illustrates the interiors of the huts in all their diversity; a third section focuses on the most iconic structures—from simple bivouacs to sophisticated constructions—located at the summits. The Michel Butor Public Library is hosting this exhibition from September 19 to November 14, 2026. Admission to the exhibition is free during the library’s regular opening hours. Photo credit: Dent d’Oche Mountain Hut – Haute-Savoie © Thierry Leroy, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, IGPC, 2018