Who is responsible for maintaining the quality of the place?

In 1979, the Pro Vrin foundation was established with the aim of “preserving the cultural-historical and architectural substance and improving the living and working conditions in Vrin as well as in the other subdivisions of the municipality”. In 1986, Peter Rieder, an agricultural economist who was teaching at the ETH Zurich, took over the presidency, and local architect Gion A. Caminada also became involved in the foundation. Pro Vrin set itself the task of guiding the changes that ensued from land development so as to follow a sensible and moderate direction in economic, cultural and architectural terms.

Does the place adapt while at the same time preserving its built heritage?

The inhabitants of the mountain farming village of Vrin at the far end of Val Lumnezia consciously decided against mass tourism in order to strengthen what has been the economic basis of the community for centuries: agriculture. In close contact and ongoing discussion with the local populace, the land improvement cooperative and the municipal authorities, Pro Vrin drew up a development concept that centred on local value creation. The focus was placed on creating structures that would ensure the survival of the community in the long term and stop the exodus.

Does the place demonstrate responsible land use?

At the beginning of the 1980s, the residents bought up all the available building land and thus protected their village from speculation. They radically restructured the agricultural activities. The original 3,400 meadow plots were reallocated to 610 new plots. They built 20 kilometres of access roads, mechanised farming operations and built larger and more animal-friendly stables.

Are the construction materials and methods durable, require little maintenance, and maintain or even enhance the place’s value?

Gion A. Caminada responded to the uncontrolled architectural growth in the valley with architecture derived from an analysis of the site. He completed various new buildings and conversions in Vrin – including homes, stables, commercial buildings and the mortuary. The quality of his interventions lay in his further development of the regional timber construction technique, a form of log building. He commissioned local craftspeople to carry out the work in order to keep the added value and thus also the jobs in the valley.

Is the place socially robust?

The small village succeeded in stopping its outward migration. Consequently, families and older generations still live together on this spot – and not mostly old people, as in other mountain villages. The local Rhaeto-Romanic language also remains the first language. Practically all the residents can speak it. To nurture the community, in 1996 Gion A. Caminada designed a multipurpose hall that sets an accent with its shingled façades on the upper edge of the village.

Is the place in dialogue with the landscape, urban fabric, colours and materials?

Caminada’s buildings are contemporary additions that are integrated into the tradition of the village and the landscape. Precisely for this reason, they have a powerful impact that combines old and new, achieving a calm continuity that exudes quality. All his buildings seek a balance between agricultural functionality and the concerns of protecting both the townscape and the landscape. Because rural exodus is a problem in many valleys in Switzerland and abroad, Vrin and its village renewal have received attention from far beyond the region.

Does the place contribute to social cohesion?

The municipality of Vrin received the Wakker Prize in 1998 with the following substantiation: “The Swiss Heritage Society honours the care with which the municipality of Vrin has integrated the buildings required for contemporary agriculture into its village and its subdivisions, while at the same time also promoting the economic situation of the farming population through organisational measures. In so doing, it contributes to a viable village community.”

Does the design of the place take the surroundings into account?

The compact village core with its baroque church, the carefully integrated new buildings and conversions by Gion A. Caminada, and the landscape which surrounds the village become highly regarded symbols of a new, modest modernity in the mountain region. Today, Vrin has an intact townscape that combines old and new like no other village in Graubünden.