The Bellegarde multi-modal transport hub is located on the banks of the Valserine Gorge, at the bottom of a steep-sided valley, and includes an urban thoroughfare connecting the upper and lower towns, drop-off points for private cars and taxis, and a station building.
The circular building is structured around two concentric rings. The first ring is clad with wood and comprises the central passenger concourse. The second features, on the ground floor, services, concessions and double entrance doors, with operational premises on the upper level. The whole is topped with a translucent cupola. The station meets the latest sustainability requirements, notably as regards energy consumption, with optimised heat exchange processes, supplemented by heat pumps, solar panels, ground-coupled heat exchangers and high-performance insulation. The building makes extensive use of wood, which is present in both roof structures, the cupolas and for general cladding.
The site has undergone extensive remodelling with intensive management of run-off water. Some 40,000m2 of rock was quarried to increase site accessibility in order to optimise accessibility for people with reduced mobility, between the car parks, the station building itself and the platforms.