Europe’s first double-arched reservoir dam in the Jauntal region in the Swiss Gruyère district is of greater topical interest than ever. Officially inaugurated in 1921, the Montsalvens dam is a technical masterpiece. Back then, its brilliant combination of a vertical and horizontal double arch made it Europe’s most celebrated construction of its kind. It took the joint genius of engineer Jean Landry and engineering firm Gruner, together with the artful calculations of Alfred Stucky and the courage of the workers to create this prime example of architectural ingenuity, which impounds the waters from the Jaunbach and makes it available for energy production at the hydropower plant Broc. Even today, experts agree that the Montsalvens dam was pure visionary genius. After all, this construction laid the foundation for an energy turnaround already 100 years ago by ensuring the production of renewable energy.

photo credits: Wikimedia/chrisaliv