Tignes Dam, Arch dam in Tignes, France
Tignes Dam is a concrete arch dam on the Isère in Tignes, France. Its curved face, about 300 meters long and 180 meters high, is marked by vertical construction joints and dark streaks. The crest carries a road behind a low parapet and railing, and the dam holds back Lac du Chevril.
Planned since the 1920s, construction began in 1941 and ended with the dam's inauguration by President Vincent Auriol on 4 July 1953. The 387 residents of old Tignes fought the project; after the cemetery was moved and the church dynamited, the village was submerged in 1952. The dam's power stations have a combined capacity of 428 MW.
The dam's surface features a large fresco of Hercules, painted by Jean-Marie Pierret and eight other artists over 60 days in preparation for the 1992 Winter Olympics.
The dam is easily visible from the valley and offers a view over the reservoir and surrounding mountains. Visiting in summer reveals the lake at lower levels, while winter typically brings deep snow around the structure.
A large fresco of Hercules covers the surface, painted by nine artists over 60 days in preparation for the 1992 Winter Olympics. When water levels drop in summer, foundations of the old village sometimes emerge from the reservoir.
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