ÉTANG
DISTRICT
VERNIER-GENEVA
SWITZERLAND, 2011-2020
URBANISM
PR–588
The urban planning and architecture project for the Étang district aims to transform a constrained site into a mixed and attractive metropolitan urban hub.
GALLERY
027
PROGRAM
The project is part of two major projects led by the Canton of Geneva — “Châtelaine” and “Vernier Meyrin Airport” — which address key issues at the cantonal level in terms of urbanization, mobility, landscape, and the environment. It develops a mixed-use program combining housing, economic activities, shops, public facilities, and green spaces, contributing to the structuring of a new urban center.
DETAIL
Situation
Quartier de l’Etang, Vernier-Geneva, Switzerland
Year
2011–2020
Status
International competition
Site area
11 ha
Client
Privera Construction Management
Architect
Dominique Perrault Architecte
DESCRIPTION
Formerly occupied by an industrial zone, the Etang district is located near Geneva Airport, a motorway exit, a railway line, a fuel depot, and a major access road to the city, including a tram line.
This context, typical of a metropolis and previously perceived as a collection of constraints and nuisances, has been the subject of a territorial reassessment demonstrating that the site, on the contrary, offers strong potential for a mix of activities such as housing, commerce, service sector businesses, small-scale industry, public facilities, parks, and public spaces.
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By working with reference levels and varying building heights, the project succeeds in creating a set of rules capable of defining a strong neighborhood identity, which integrates naturally into the wider landscape and will be open to diverse architectural styles.
Here, mixed-use development allows for the modulation of densities and urban atmospheres, the filtering of neighborhood nuisances, and the management of different modes of transportation. What was initially perceived as a collection of potential drawbacks has been transformed into assets, making the Etang district the new urban center of the municipality of Vernier, connected to the metropolitan area and international transport infrastructure.
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