The development of railways across Europe in the 19th century not only transformed transport across the continent; it had wide reaching impacts on the landscapes, interactions between cultures and on the European sense of identity. While England, Germany, Austria, France, Italy and Russia had already introduced railway networks, Switzerland was, a blank spot in the European railway network. As a reaction to these circumstances, the first railway law in Switzerland, enacted in 1852, left construction and operation of railways to private companies. The competitive situation massively accelerated railway expansion and set the scene for a race to achieve the first Alpine traversal. The commercially oriented railway companies were naturally only interested in profitable projects; there were none in Valais. Compared to other parts of Switzerland, Valais remained an isolated and agricultural canton due its topography. As a consequence, the Valais government failed to win over Switzerland‘s financial circles, even though the Simplon had long been considered the shortest, easiest and most convenient connection between France and Italy. The question of the Simplon tunnel became particularly important in France in response to the assurance by the North German Confederation for a subsidy for a Gotthard railway. On the 21st of June 1870, there was great movement in the French Chamber. A number of deputies moved to grant a subvention for the construction of the Simplon tunnel valued at 40 million francs in response to the German subvention for the Gotthard. The outbreak of war prevented this request from being dealt with. What if France had won the Franco-Prussian War and agreed to the subsidy proposal in 1870? Due to the topographical advantages, the Simplon tunnel would have been built before the Gotthard and became the dominant north-south axis. The railway would have positioned Valais as the gateway to economically advanced areas and greatly increased the mobility of goods, due to its position between Paris and Milan. Instead of conquering the land of the Rhône for agriculture, Valais would have concentrated on the new possibilities offered by the railway. By prioritising the railway line over the Rhône correction, the railway not only becomes the basis of the social and economic upswing of the canton, but also an infrastructure project that performs the role of a protective dam, dividing the valley into a Dry Half and a Wet Half.

VOLUPTAS, Chair Charbonnet / Heiz, Assistant Marina Montresor

Chair for the Theory of Architecture, Prof. Laurent Stalder, Assistant Davide Spina