Common Grounds: Atelier Descombes Rampini 2000-2015 9783035606157, 9783035606133

Table of contents :
Contents
Preface
Built projects (selection)
Making a World
The Urban Art of Possibility
Photographs 2015
Embracing the Ordinary
An Approach through Milieu
Collection of projects (selection)
Atelier Descombes Rampini
Publications
All projects
Authors

Citation preview

c   ommon g   rounds

Atelier Descombes Rampini Birkhäuser Basel

2000–2015

Contents

Preface 19 Bruno Marchand Built projects 25 (selection) Making a World Sébastien Marot

99

The Urban Art of Possibility 113 Luca Pattaroni Photographs 2015 Laurent Goei

125

Embracing the Ordinary 189 Sonia Curnier An Approach through Milieu 197 Thierry Maeder Collection of projects (selection)

201

Atelier Descombes Rampini

313

Publications 315 All projects Authors

317 322

Bruno Marchand

Preface

Founded in 2000, Atelier Descombes Rampini quickly distinguished itself on the Geneva architectural scene by its broad cultural and multidisciplinary scope of intervention, from regional and urban planning to architecture and engineering structures. Their sketches, drawings, and models, spread out on tables at the industrial office space the architects themselves renovated in Geneva’s Saint-Jean area, are a testimony to the links forged at different scales of reflection that are then reworked and mastered on a daily basis. One notes within this broad spectrum a special focus on landscape architecture and urban planning. Indeed, over time and with practice, these atypical architects have acquired considerable experience in creating public spaces and have developed a unique architectural vision of territorial and landscape features.

1. Notably the Pâquis-Centre school (1973–1992), with Roger Loponte and Gabriele Curonici, a work seemingly inspired by the teachings of Tita Carloni at the EAUG; the Hewlett Packard headquarters in Meyrin (1979–1982) with Janez Hacin; and the Bardonnex customs (1989–1991) with Laurent Chenu. 2. Boesch, Martin. “La transformazione: un tema dell’insegnamento di progettazione?” Archi 3 (2006) 7–9. Francesco Della Casa, cantonal architect of Geneva who also describes a Geneva landscaping model in his essay “La rade amplifiée,” tracés 23/24 (2010): 33–42.

Their vision stems at least in part from their training. While both graduated in 1990, their respective paths differed in important ways. Julien Descombes studied at the University of Geneva’s School of Architecture (EAUG), where he was assistant to Bernardo Secchi from 1990 to 1992. His first professional experiences were with Renzo Piano in Genoa and Herman Hertzberger in Amsterdam, before launching his own firm in 1994 and participating in numerous competitions. Marco Rampini, meanwhile, graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). From 1990 to 1994, after an internship at Diener & Diener in Basel, he worked for JeanJacques Oberson, a Fribourg architect working in Geneva and designer of several extremely interesting urban planning projects and architectural works.1 What brought them together? Common interests, like-mindedness, and the sensitivity they demonstrated during their studies and internships, traits that allowed them develop a common vision of space, the city, and architecture. This vision was reinforced notably by a postgraduate training seminar the two attended at the University of Geneva’s Institute of Architecture (IAUG) in 2001, a program that Martin Boesch unhesitatingly describes as “avant-garde” and that he refers to as the “Geneva model.” 2 19



A Genevan world

Developed in 1994 by Giairo Daghini, Georges Descombes, Riccardo Mariani, and Bruno Reichlin, the “Geneva model” is based on project-oriented teaching and can be broken down into four complementary disciplinary lines: Urban and Regional Planning, Architecture and Applied Arts, Architecture and Landscape and Preservation of Built Heritage. Sébastien Marot, author of one of the critical texts in this book (see page 99), was a member for the the postgraduate class teaching team 3 Julien Descombes and Marco Rampini were enrolled in 2001. He uses the term “Geneva look” 4 to describe a form of emulation, highlighting the exceptional analytical and prospective work done by Geneva researchers on what gives places their specific character (natural, built, social, cultural, and political aspects). This work notably took place at the Centre de recherche sur la rénovation urbaine (CRR), founded by André Corboz and Italo Insolera in 1973 and directed for many years by Alain Léveillé. For Sébastien Marot, the Atelier’s work is at the junction of the Genevan culture of space and of horizons near and far. He observed working practices there that were strongly rooted in a cosmopolitan Geneva “rich with a tradition of reflection on what it takes to make a world.” The focal point of this world is Ile Rousseau, where the lake becomes a river. Water is indeed a recurring theme in the Atelier’s work, from the redevelopment of the banks of the “Fil du Rhône” to beach facilities in Geneva and Bienne, nature areas at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône in Lyon, and the rewilding of the Aire, an exploratory and synthetic hydrographic approach to the “‘natural,’ rural and urban elements of a world.” “But what is a world?” This question addresses the idea of a paradigm largely shaped by contemporary environmental concerns and the depletion of natural resources. According to Marot, the result is growing suburbanity issues that no longer surround “urban extension” but rather the “layering of territories.”

3. With Jean-Marc Besse, Michel Corajoud, Georges Descombes, and Gilles A. Tiberghien.

This “layering,” well beyond the physical characteristics of places, can also be extended to the social, economic, and environmental spheres. It is through this prism that Sébastien Marot gauges the theoretical and critical know-how specific to the architectural milieu of the “Geneva look” and the Atelier’s work in particular, not only as regard the aforementioned water areas but gardens and public spaces as well—any places “where the city meets itself.”

4. Marot, Sébastien. L’Art de la mémoire, le territoire et l’architecture, Paris: Editions de la Villette, 2010, p. 91. 20



Architecture as transformation

With regard to the problem of public spaces, we again come back to the IAUG, where “transformation” was a key teaching and project approach. Since the 1990s, this notion, based on a consideration of the distinctive features of sites and buildings and an understanding of their morphogenesis and development over time—from continuity to rupture—has been heralded as a new paradigm in theoretical thinking.5 It is therefore essential to consider time scales, sedimentation, and historical relationships in such an approach that, in Geneva, is fueled by the work of teachers like Georges Descombes, who says, “The site suggests the potential for transformation by what is already there […] I like the idea of transformation. For Alvaro Siza, architects do not invent; they transform. I agree that it’s more a question of transforming than of building but, unlike Siza, feel that there is much invention in transformation.” 6

5. For more on this, see the double issue of the magazine Casabella 498/9 (1984) on “Architettura come modificazione,” notably Vittorio Gregotti’s introduction “Modificazione,” pp. 1–7, and Sebastiano Brandolini and Pierre-Alain Croset’s article “Strategie della modificazione 1, 2, 3,” pp. 16–21, 40–45, 78–83. See also Croset Pierre-Alain and Michele Bonino, “Casabella 1982– 1996.” On Vittorio Gregotti and “‘critical realism’ in architecture,” Les Cahiers de la recherche architecturale et urbaine 24/25 (2009): 70. 6. Descombes, Georges, “Eloge de la simplicité,” interview by Cedric van der Poel, tracés 10 (2011): 15. 7. A profile at the junction of disciplines and whose advantages are obvious, especially when compared to the French context for this same period, characterized by recognition of the failure of architects —who “mark time” in the planning of cities—and the transfer of competence to landscape designers. For more on this, see Jacques Lucan’s “L’irrésistible ascension des paysagistes.” amc 44 (1993): 41. 8. Following a participative process, the project was ultimately rejected by popular vote on September 27, 1998. On the reasons for this rejection, see Ola Söderström, Beatrice Manzoni, and Suzanne Oguey’s “Lendemains d’échecs. Conduite de projets et aménagements d’espaces publics à Genève.” Disp 145 (2001): 19–28.

The general architectural training program—developed first at the EAUG and later at the IAUG and based on the four complementary disciplines—forged a kind of “hybrid” 7 professional profile, manifest in this case in a kind of heightened awareness of landscape and public spaces under the generic principle of “transformation.” Julien Descombes followed this inclination during the Place Neuve international invited design competition in 1996, as part of the team that, along with artist Carmen Perrin and lighting expert Piero Castiglioni, and under the direction of Georges Descombes, won first prize. The square’s unique design (unbuilt) 8 was based on embracing what already existed, as forged by history, and using this history to give it new meaning. In the eyes of the project designers, Place Neuve is a “stratified thickness” to which a new layer has been added, creating a public space that forges links and continuities with the urban landscape within a broader framework than that of the competition. As Sonia Curnier demonstrates (see text, page 189), we find echoes of this “transformation” and “historical narrative” strategy in the design and execution of all the Atelier’s public spaces. Turbinenplatz (2000–2003) in Zurich and Place Simon-Goulart (2003–2013) in Geneva—public squares that through their sober and minimal expression strive to “accommodate the ordinary”—in particular stand out in this regard. From the architects’ view of the city and its conventions, other themes like simplicity and ordinariness emerge as core project principles. Sonia Curnier also highlights the architects’ ability to seek out specific atmospheres by their invariable attention to texture, light, building materials, greenery, and street furniture, which culminate to foster and facilitate varied and diverse usage of spaces, both collectively and individually. 21

This interest in people’s appropriation of public spaces can be linked to the importance Roger Diener (after a brief but noteworthy stint at the the EPFL in the late 1980s) placed on habitat in his research, based on residents’ experiences and lifestyles and how they influence spatial design. As a student, Marco Rampini participated in the studio (1988–1989) directed by Diener with Gilles Barbey, and later worked with the Riponne-Tunnel housing development’s “fenêtres habitées” (inhabited windows) project in Lausanne.9 Here he learned to appreciate “the need to consider the spatial question based on its intelligibility and how users appropriate space,” 10 and to incorporate lived experience (his own and that of others, like a narrative) into the project development process. This “sensitive” approach to architecture relies mainly on images and texts, which are part of the language of these same lived experiences.11 Incidentally, in his text (see page 113), Luca Pattaroni refers to the importance of the “spaces of possibility” that represent public spaces; areas for gathering and meeting, the political word spoken freely, and the “invention of cohabitation”. According to him, Atelier Descombes Rampini is like an artist who juggles strategies and tactics “to accommodate and intensify the ordinary of the city,” a concept likewise broached by Sonia Curnier. This delicate balance requires an astute and reserved attitude on the part of the architects, as well as the assertion of know-how. For Luca Pattaroni, public spaces must remain open and available for unforeseen uses. Such openness is accommodated by a physical layout whose simplicity is a sine qua non condition for “the potentialization of uses and a culture liberated from space in public.”

9. The fruits of this workshop gave rise to an exhibition at the Basel Museum of Architecture from December 1989 to February 1990. On this occasion, a catalog entitled Fenêtres habitées was published (Architekturmuseum in Basel, 1989). 10. Diener, Roger. “Sur le processus conceptuel du projet d’architecture et les moyens qu’il implique,” Fenêtres habitées, op. cit., p. 33. 11. Steinmann, Martin. “Espaces, chambres… Réflexions sur ‘l’approche sensible’ du projet d’architecture,” Fenêtres habitées, op. cit., pp. 113–119.

A collection

These theoretical and critical analyses of the Atelier’s regional, urban, and architectural production between 2000 and 2015 offer complementary insights that converges towards the heart of this book: the collection of works. Thierry Maeder’s introductory text (see page 197), a memoir of his impressions from working at the Atelier, highlights the commonalities (the most important being what he calls “reserve,” in keeping with Luca Pattaroni’s analysis) of this seemingly heterogeneous body of work. For him, this “reserve” echoes the works of philosopher Ernst Bloch and the concept of noch-nicht-sein, namely “the deep conviction that the world contains within it all the possibilities for its future.” This conviction obliges the architects to work with existing lines of force (as mentioned earlier with regard to “transformation”) and to develop new potentiality for appropriation.

22

The collaboration and emulation that surround the projects is notably illustrated by the Place d’Armes (Yverdon-les-Bains) and Flon redevelopment proposals. However, the same mindset also governs the other works in this collection. So why a “collection of works”? According to the Larousse dictionary, a collection is “a book wherein writings, documents, engravings, etc. are gathered.” 12 This rather broad definition touches on several disciplines and emphasizes the “act of gathering” that is specific to the researcher or collectioner. In architecture, the word has important historical implications. In the 18th century in the fine arts, a collection was essentially the codified representation of the same type of building at the same scale presented in synchronic or diachronic order. Its uses were multiple: for specialists, it represented encyclopedic knowledge that allowed them to understand the historical evolution of “exemplary and representative” architectural models; for teachers, it was a pedagogical tool that echoed the historical and theoretical culture necessary for testing; for students, it was a kind of introduction to the basics of architecture and a source of inspiration for “copying” and documenting great works. “Collection” as understood in this book, of course, diverges from this historical view of things. I believe it is interesting to consider the word’s meaning in a more literary perspective. What we have done here is show projects and document them following standard rules (chronology, systematic layout, descriptions, etc.) not in hierarchical order but rather by juxtaposing striking architectural achievements with projects that never made it off paper and, presumably, of less importance. And yet, it is sometimes the latter that shed light on architects’ priorities, changes, of course, and new urban architectural languages, in much the same way one is pleasantly surprised to discover an unpublished work in a collection of short stories from which the book takes its title and flavor.

12. http://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/ francais/recueil/67239. 23

Built projects (selection)

005 Pont de la Machine 008 Turbinenplatz 014 River Aire 026 Strandbad Biel 035 Place Simon-Goulart 038 Jardins d’Éole 045 Place Nautique and Parc de Saône 061 Eaux-Vives School 075 Bicycle station Cornavin 090 Plaine de Plainpalais 100 Rhône Baths

25

005 Pont de la Machine, Geneva, Switzerland

26

27

005 Pont de la Machine, Geneva, Switzerland

28

29

005 Pont de la Machine, Geneva, Switzerland

30

31

008 Turbinenplatz, Zurich, Switzerland

32

33

008 Turbinenplatz, Zurich, Switzerland

34

35

008 Turbinenplatz, Zurich, Switzerland

36

37

014 River Aire, Geneva, Switzerland

38

39

014 River Aire, Geneva, Switzerland

40

41

014 River Aire, Geneva, Switzerland

42

43

014 River Aire, Geneva, Switzerland

44

45

014 River Aire, Geneva, Switzerland

46

47

014 River Aire, Geneva, Switzerland

48

49

026 Strandbad Biel, Nidau, Switzerland

50

51

026 Strandbad Biel, Nidau, Switzerland

52

53

026 Strandbad Biel, Nidau, Switzerland

54

55

026 Strandbad Biel, Nidau, Switzerland

56

57

035 Place Simon-Goulart, Geneva, Switzerland

58

59

035 Place Simon-Goulart, Geneva, Switzerland

60

61

035 Place Simon-Goulart, Geneva, Switzerland

62

63

038 Jardins d’Éole, Paris, France

64

65

038 Jardins d’Éole, Paris, France

66

67

038 Jardins d’Éole, Paris, France

68

69

038 Jardins d’Éole, Paris, France

70

71

045 Place Nautique and Parc de Saône, Lyon, France

72

73

045 Place Nautique and Parc de Saône, Lyon, France

74

75

045 Place Nautique and Parc de Saône, Lyon, France

76

77

045 Place Nautique and Parc de Saône, Lyon, France

78

79

061 Eaux-Vives School, Geneva, Switzerland

80

81

075 Bicycle station Cornavin, Geneva, Switzerland

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83

090 Plaine de Plainpalais, Geneva, Switzerland

84

85

090 Plaine de Plainpalais, Geneva, Switzerland

86

87

090 Plaine de Plainpalais, Geneva, Switzerland

88

89

090 Plaine de Plainpalais, Geneva, Switzerland

90

91

090 Plaine de Plainpalais, Geneva, Switzerland

92

93

090 Plaine de Plainpalais, Geneva, Switzerland

94

95

100 Rhône Baths, Geneva, Switzerland

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97

98

Sébastien Marot

Making a World

It was about 15 years ago that I first got to know Julien and Marco, when they both signed up for the landscape-design course that Georges Descombes and Alain Léveillé had set up at the Institut d’Architecture in Geneva. With experience in several European firms and projects they’d begun to develop in their own office, Julien and Marco already had a serious accumulation of theoretical and practical references, particularly with respect to the history of urbanism and land development in Geneva and in Switzerland more generally (Dufour, Braillard, Corboz, Secchi, etc.), as well as a solid grounding in artistic and architectural culture. For my part, I tried to share with students the thoughts that the then situation of the world’s land use and landscapes inspired in me: the idea that urbanism, at least in principle if not always in reality, was a discipline that had run out of steam and was out of step with what was really needed, which for me wasn’t so much the continued horizontal growth of cities but rather a “layering of territories.” Background My understanding of the situation back then and how we’d got there went something like this. Around the middle of the 19th century, following the first waves of the rural exodus toward the cities and furnaces of the industrial revolution, urbanism was explicitly born as the discipline charged with overseeing—which is to say preparing, controlling, and guiding—the physical growth of urban organisms. A more or less consummated rupture occurred with former practices of urban improvement and embellishment, which were essentially concerned with ameliorating the scenography of existing agglomerations and planning their suburbs. Suddenly, towns and cities that had slowly developed over the centuries, remaining within defensive circuits or fiscal barriers, rather like islands or coils of density that punctuated great swathes of agricultural land, leapfrogged these obstacles and began to spread out over their hinterlands—hinterlands that often consisted of rich agricultural land whose surplus production was precisely what had allowed these urban centers to form in the first place, and where the dynamics of the rural exodus 99

had made them less able to resist the process of being swallowed up by urban consumption. For over a century, until the 1960s, this suburban and peripheral growth was the subject matter of this new discipline, and the site of a more or less fertile controversy between its “culturalist,” “progressist,” and “naturalist” factions (to use the terms coined back then by Françoise Choay).1 While the culturalists (represented by Sitte) tried to design and imagine this growth in relation to the genetic heritage of the towns and cities in question in a logic of locally grounded emanation or variation, and the progressists, on the contrary, highlighted the jump in scale that this growth represented in order to promote a transformation based in the “rational” analysis of the principal functions of the city (habitation, work, leisure, etc.), the naturalists looked at the base, the substratum, the infrastructure, or the territory of this growth in order to think about it as a landscape or a region (Olmsted, Geddes, Mumford, McHarg, etc.). These different points of view were essentially rather automatic (which is to say a little hasty) responses to a question that these urbanists did not explicitly ask, namely, “What is needed to make a world?,” or, more fundamentally, “What is a world?” As it happened, a century after the birth of their discipline, urbanists still had certain excuses for not directly asking this metaphysical question. Despite their already enormous growth, cities, and in particular metropolises, even if they constituted particularly significant poles, concentrations, precipitations, or crystallizations of the world (“cosmopolises”), or even worlds unto themselves, were still nonetheless far from being embodiments of the condition of the world. It was still perfectly reasonable to consider that urban areas were components in a bigger world that was able to cater to their development. In the collective imagination, cities were still a relative rarity which justified talk of “the urban condition” or “the right to the city.” This means that despite their huge physical growth, cities still had a vague horizon, even were it only conceptual, which is to say existing in the minds of city dwellers and urbanists.

1. Cf Choay, Françoise. L’Urbanisme, utopies et réalités. Paris: Seuil, 1965. 2. Davis, Mike. Planet of Slums. London: Verso, 2006. UN statistics, which inform us that over 50 percent of the human population of our planet now lives in cities, also tell us that a third of these city dwellers, i.e., over 1 billion people, are slum dwellers.

In the four decades since, from the 1970s onward, with the enormous acceleration in globalization, we have seen the loss of this urban horizon and the concomitant loss of the notion of growth, and, as a result, the defeat and exhaustion of the very concept of urbanism (which has only really survived, in theoretical and rhetorical terms, in the current known as “landscape urbanism,” that is to say in the legacy of the “naturalist” tendency, which was better equipped than the others, thanks to its particular genealogy, to address the terrae incognitae in which the city has lost itself). Indeed this period of unbridled urbanization, in which metropolises have exploded on every continent (and along with them slums, whose ghastliness has been analyzed by Mike Davis in his book Planet of Slums),2 has seen postmodern urbanists, outrun by circumstances, trying to keep up with the urbanization juggernaut either by injecting a little “urbanity” 100

into compromised sites (fragments, patchworks, etc.) or by acting as “plumbers” in the networks and economy of the “diffuse city.” Never had the semantics of the city (“urbanity,” “urban project,” etc.) been solicited so much and at the same time been so incapable of describing what was happening. This period no doubt found its formula in the (at the time still vaguely provocative) equation that Rem Koolhaas placed on the pediment of his 2000 exhibition Mutations: “World = City.” An equation that at least had the merit of inviting all those who think a little bit to finally ask themselves the direct question: beyond the attested coextensivity of the city and the World, what does it all mean, and, first of all, what is a world? In my view, it is with this question that today’s environmental preoccupations ultimately and urgently confront us. A world is both a fragment and a model of the World, in other words a physical and symbolic territory where one could imagine spending the entirety of one’s existence, because its layout and configuration, the care that was taken in its organization and improvement, and make it a place of residence that, of its type, is complete. By “spending the entirety of one’s existence there,” I mean that a world is a relatively autonomous territory that could, if necessary, be self-sufficient: a viable territory, capable of satisfying a minima—and if possible more so—all the essential “functions” (living, working, leisure, but also eating, meeting, exchanging, conversing, etc.) that the industrial revolution separated and that modern urbanists strove to distinguish yet further. An objection might be that with globalization there is now only one world in this sense, which is identifiable with the World; that today there is no longer any area, country, region, or district that is capable of constituting a viable world unto itself, and that the metaphysics of freedom demand that each individual be able to formulate his or her own world, à la carte, according to his or her desires (and means).3 Thus the contemporary individual imagines him or herself essentially as a navigator and consumer of spheres, habitats, and territories, as a nomadic agent who distributes his or her time and existence more or less freely between different destinations: a private base, one or more workplaces, “joints” where one can chat, mix, and have fun, and vacations in various places, on a scale that goes from a weekend in the countryside to expeditions to far-flung destinations, and includes resorts and other leisure facilities.

3. This, globally, was the message of the Mutations exhibition, which juxtaposed, without transition or mediation, satellite views of immense urbanized regions and close-up interviews with individual interlocutors—as if to hammer home the idea that there was no longer any intermediary between the one (the planet) and the other (individuals): no more diacosmos or medio-mondo.

Two consequences result, whose effects are ever growing. First of all, through an autocatalytic process, certain areas, in order to succeed in a competitive market, tend to specialize in a particular service or function or in one or two major “themes”: raw materials (huge swathes of intensive agriculture, oil fields, the enormous tar-sand quarries of Alberta and South America), workplaces (industrial estates, Silicon Valley, centres of excellence, Germany, etc.), tourism or leisure (activity centres, natural parks, the Côte d’Azur, ski resorts, Swiss valleys, Thailand, Italy, France, and so on), domesticity and “privacy” 101

(suburbia, gated communities, peri-urban villages, etc.), shopping and commerce (hypermarkets, shopping villages, the Netherlands), retirement (old people’s homes, the Côte d’Azur (again), Florida, etc.) and transport: all the hubs, high-speed train stations, airports, and interchanges that allow one to jump from one territory to another and thus to “participate” and to have a world. It is interesting to note that what, 20 years ago, the anthropologist Marc Augé described as the specificity of such hubs—that they are non-places, pure switches —has begun to be true of all the territories that they connect, as the regions in question, themed as hyper-places, become more and more dependent on the existence of the others. The second consequence is that only those who have acquired the means to navigate between these more or less specialized territories (global commuters) can have a world, which is to say be citizens of the World. Everyone else, i.e., all those who are forced to remain within or on the margins of these specialized territories, who are less and less able to fulfil all their expectations (id est: immundus, less and less of this world, more and more “unclean”), have no choice but to endure this zoning or separation, and thus do not have a world: housing developments right next to motorways or airports, giant favelas, housing estates that are more or less ghettoized, the depopulation of left-behind rural settlements, holidays in the car park, commuters trapped between two or three enclaves, etc. A large percentage of the world’s population, indeed a relatively big majority, is thus in a minority situation with respect to this vast territorial transformation and is condemned to make up for it in more or less virtual arenas, essentially the ubiquitous substitutes that are television, the internet, and virtual- and augmented-reality video games—which, moreover, are themselves territories specialized in the evacuation of conflict (paint-ball, multiplex cinemas, football stadia, jihadi Syria). For the most part, the response of urbanists to this more or less clearly formulated observation consists in setting aside the question (“What is a world?”) in favour of the implicit hypostasis of Henri Lefebvre’s famous slogan: a sort of right to the world, which boils down to a policy of access and mobility. Without calling into question the validity of this approach—which generally aims to increase the porosity and isotropy of inhabited territories, to open up their leftover enclaves or lance their abscesses of poverty, to promote “soft” transport and multimodal transport hubs in the generic city, to encourage solidarity between territories, to cultivate the “positive externalities” of better coexistence between the diverse components of the horizontal city (cultivated fields, gardens, districts of individual or collective housing, shopping, business and industrial zones, public facilities and spaces, parks, etc.), and to support their ecosystemic functioning in their specific environment—one can nonetheless question the scope of this approach and the nature of the sustainability or resilience it claims to deliver. What I mean to say is that very often these varied intentions are more superimposed (as a range of policies) than 102

truly articulated in a philosophy of the world in question, which is to say in an ethic that, while sufficiently open to what is possible and appropriate, would firstly be concerned with protecting and strengthening the territory’s capacity to comprise a viable world unto itself, in other words a landscape and stock of resources that allow it to resist a recession that would globally affect the ability of its inhabitants to “get lost”.4 Major environmental alerts, a general slowdown in growth, the exhaustion of fossil fuels—everything indicates that today the exceptional conditions that allowed the development of movement and widespread mobility over the last century and a half, and in particular in the last four decades, could evaporate for good. In this situation, perhaps the responsible attitude does not consist in wanting everyone to have access to the cosmopolitan ubiquity of the World and to the partaking of its territories (which will never happen) but, on the contrary, in espousing the scope of the most deprived (the marginalized), and in making sure that, by encompassing more othernesses, it comes to constitute a world. That at least is how I would translate today what I meant 15 years ago when I wrote that what’s at stake in the suburban condition is no longer the horizontal growth of cities (which was at stake in the urban condition and in urbanism), but the layering of territories. And it is in this perspective that I would like to discuss the work of Atelier Descombes Rampini. Context

4. Recession is used in its strongest sense, i.e., to evoke the idea of “collapse.” On the probability that such a phenomenon will occur in the coming decades, one can profitably consult, in addition to the famous 1972 Club of Rome report (Meadows et al., The Limits to Growth) and its two updatings of 1992 and 2004, the recent study by Pablo Servigne and Raphaël Stevens, Comment tout peut s’effondrer ? Petit manuel de collapsologie à l’usage des générations présentes. Paris: Seuil, 2005. 5. A term coined by Fernand Braudel, which translates literally as “world cities” but also expresses the idea of a “city world.”

If a world is a fragment and a model of the World, then, clearly, Switzerland is one, not only as a country, but also, and above all, as a federal state and as the historical theatre of a long tradition of thinking about the unity and plurality of worlds. Integrated into the world economy, water reserve of Europe, and international banking centre, with its four drainage basins, four languages, twenty-three cantons, and three villes-monde 5 (Geneva-Lausanne, Basel, and Zurich), the Confederation has constantly made sure of its relative independence as a state (its famous neutrality in the concert and tensions of Europe, which makes it the seat of many international institutions), as well as ensuring a large dose of political and cultural autonomy for its constituent parts. While Switzerland today is clearly the product of a certain number of specializations in the global economy (banking, tourism, international institutions, etc.), which, while bringing it significant privileges, have also had destabilizing and “unclean” effects in the sense already described (villages of chalets and hotels that stink of filthy lucre), the country is also in principle better prepared, thanks to its heritage of autonomy and its deliberative tradition, to negotiate these effects in a long-term vision. And there’s nothing new about the role played by this enclave, encircled by a Europe that at one point imagined itself as a mega-Switzerland, as a reflexive and prophetic model: a liveable version of the equation World = City in reverse: City = World. As Rousseau wrote at a time when the Confederation counted 103

half as many cantons: “The whole of Switzerland is like a city divided into 13 districts, some of which are in the valleys, others on the hills, and others in the mountains. Geneva, St. Gallen, and Neuchâtel are like suburbs: there are neighborhoods with more or less inhabitants, but all of them are sufficiently inhabited to indicate that one is still in the city: it’s just that, instead of being lined up, the houses are dispersed without symmetry or order, as it is said were those of ancient Rome. One no longer thinks one is crossing a desert when one sees bell-towers among the pine trees, flocks among the rocky spurs, factories among the precipices, and workshops by the torrents.” 6 Without any doubt, even if some of its protagonists deny it, the success and influence of Swiss architecture and the respect and admiration it enjoys today are linked to the idea that, in its mixture of abstraction and materiality, emergence and location, it somehow reflects Swiss hinterlands and ecumenes, in other words, a world, or rather worlds. The Ticino school (Tami, Snozzi, Ruchat, Galfetti, Botta, Vacchini), the Basel tendenza (Diener, Herzog & de Meuron), the architecture of the Graubunden (Zumthor, Caminada, Conzett) or the solid and more metropolitan abstractions of Zurich (Meili/ Peter, Gigon/Guyer, etc.)—a list to which one could also annex the Austrian school of the Vorarlberg—all summon, connote, and reflect the landscapes, backdrops, and, geographies of popular imagination that correspond more or less to the valleys, hills, mountains, and suburbs evoked by Rousseau. Liking one or another of these schools is also generally a question of making a choice in this range of images of a world and, more globally, yearning for this palette of confederate landscapes, locating oneself in this mental Switzerland, this upstream realm, this highland toward which the majority of European architects swim like salmon, some of them imagining that it’s enough to helveticize here and there to make a world. For twenty years, the erratic blocks of Swiss architecture have rolled all over the place, right down to the most disoriented zones of Europe where they preside like generals (or meteorites) over the debacle. In Switzerland itself, for decades now, the horizontal and reticulate city has been crawling through the valleys and installing its offspring here and there, on the hills, shores, and plateaux, enclosing the villages and the vast reserves of distance and vacancy that are, in solid and void, the mountains and lakes.

6. Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. “Letter to the Maréchal de Luxembourg, 20 January 1763,” in Œuvres complètes, seventh volume. Paris: Edition de Ch. Lahure, 1858, p. 315. 7. The expression was coined by André Corboz in “La refondation de Genève en 1830 (Dufour, Fazy, Rousseau).” Geneva No. 40 (1992): 55–85, text reproduced in Corboz, Le territoire comme palimpseste et autres essais. Paris: Editions de l’Imprimeur, 2001.

At the western extremity of the country, right at the end of the long and broad Swiss “Mediterranean,” the “liquid temenos” 7 of the Lemanic metropolis, the Republic and Canton of Geneva, wedged into French territory between the balconies of the Jura and the Salève, is a gateway, an outlet, the lock via which Switzerland yields to Western Europe the water that has accumulated in its largest drainage basin so that it can flow to that other, even bigger, drainage basin, the Mediterranean Sea. As such, Geneva is the geographic capital of the Suisse Romande, and its territory of confluence —where the Rhône, joined by the Arve, takes on its fluvial form once 104

again—is a melting pot, a sort of allegory of Europe or the world that concentrates, in barely 300 km2, nearly all the ingredients and horizons of a complete landscape (lake, shores, port, city, river, suburb, countryside, village) to form one of the smallest, most peaceful but also most famous villes-monde on the planet. Today, nothing particularly distinguishes this Swiss peninsula from the French territory in which it is wedged (a few vague border and customs posts on the départementales and routes cantonales), apart from the international prestige of a certain cosmopolitics, at the crossroads between the natural sciences (Saussure, Candolle), physiocracy (Pictet de Rochemont) and international peace institutions (Henri Dunant, the Red Cross, the League of Nations, etc.). Below ground, CERN’s Large Hadron Collider circles under the Franco-Swiss border without any rupture between the two countries. The Republic of Geneva is consequently less defined by its frontiers than by a certain international cachet or by a history of contributions to the puzzle that is the world: “the universal,” said Miguel Torga in an oft-quoted phrase, “is the local without the walls.” 8 If, despite what precedes, one nonetheless had to name the centre of gravity in this republic, it would probably be the Île Rousseau, where the statue of the philosopher keeps watch over the lake’s outlet as it transforms back into a river. From there, his fixed vantage point, Rousseau can observe how much his metaphor has degenerated in reality, and the extent to which ubiquitous urbanity is today coextensive with a cantonal territory whose intervals of rurality, or “emptiness,” are just as fully programmed as the rest. It’s from this cosmopolitan territory, nourished by a whole tradition of thinking about what it takes to make a world (in the realms of philosophy, politics, cartography, urbanism, landscape design, etc.) that Atelier Descombes Rampini’s practice has developed over the last two decades, through a cross between a culture of horizons (Borges, Nicolas Bouvier, etc.) and one of the territory and its representations (André Corboz, Bernardo Secchi, Georges Descombes, Alain Léveillé, Bruno Reichlin, etc.), of which the Institut d’Architecture in Geneva was a particularly active and inventive laboratory until its closure ten years ago.

8. Torga, Miguel. L’Universel, c’est le local moins les murs: Tras-os-Montes. Bordeaux: William Blake and Co, 2012.

What is most immediately striking in the practice of this architecture firm is the extraordinary variety of scales and subjects, which go all the way from the bike shed or school yard to the planning of entire neighborhoods, and include a jetty (the Pont de la Machine), footbridges, a bear park, beaches and ports, a whole collection of piazzas and gardens, and so on—projects that always involve ground and surface, which are often cleared like carpets of potential. And then there are the itineraries, the avenues, the quaysides, the rivers, all stretched between the major spaces that are city centers and the fringes where the horizontal city thins out into fields and 105

countryside. Clearly this firm isn’t specialized in just one type of object (which it could easily export, as others do), nor even in a particular vocabulary or in a type of construction or situation. Its speciality is more syntax, copulae, conjunctions—all these places and all these components in the public territory and the landscape, all these “commons” that the waves of programming, specialization, and standardization have progressively eroded and thinned out by reducing them to the abstraction of points, lines, and surfaces as they are represented on a plan. Itineraries To untangle this skein a little, let’s start by following and pulling on the thread that, at first glance, seems to be the most recurrent: water. “Fil du Rhône” was, moreover, the title of a prospective research project that was a deciding factor in Atelier Descombes Rampini’s emergence on the Genevan scene. Connected with it was a series of very sober projects, some realized, others not, of pontoons, promenades or balconies along the urban stretches of the river, from the outlet of the lake as far as the confluence with the Arve and beyond, all of which serve simply to orient the city towards its principal geographical raison d’être. The most famous of these realizations is clearly the jetty at the Pont de la Machine, a dance floor at the heart of the liquid tenemos of the city, which implicitly transforms the bridge itself into a way of accessing the river rather than just a simple crossing. But beyond all these interventions linked to the dismantling of the Rhône’s hydraulic system—which confirm and continue the rebuilding of Geneva around the river landscape, and which together comprise an ideal plan of all the enhancement measures undertaken in the city’s public spaces with respect to water—many of the firm’s other projects, located beyond the city and sometimes even the canton, are in the same vein. Upstream first of all, on the shores of the lake, like at Eaux-Vives, the Pâquis, or towards Lausanne, are several projects for public ports, beaches, decks, and landing stages, which, by involving the neighboring boroughs and districts in the little ocean that unites them, have endeavored to spatialize the improvement policies that have been carried out since the 1990s with respect to the quality of water and ecosystems in the rivers. A world is a territory where the water one sees is also the water one drinks and in which one swims. Even further away, past a handsome garden project stretched between the esplanade and the lake at Montreux (which we’ll come back to), we also find, going up the Rhône towards its source in the Valais, two other notable projects that simply explain, amplify, and take advantage of the contours down and across the landscape of the valley: at Sion, a sequence of public spaces created along the torrential river to rationalize and limit urbanization, and in Sierre, two aerial footbridges which furtively cross the river’s braided bed to access a bird-watching platform suspended in the tree canopy. 106

But it’s above all downstream from the centre of Geneva, in the canton’s suburban territory, that Atelier Descombes Rampini’s hydrographic undertakings have most succeeded up till now, taking on an ecumenal dimension that closely combines the “natural,” rural, and urban components of a world. Of all the projects the firm has developed there, in the canton’s territory, in more or less direct connection with the dynamics of the Arve, the Rhône, and their tributaries, the most astonishing is the rewilding of the River Aire, which was a true laboratory of practical experimentation in articulating a relationship between urbanism, agriculture, the natural sciences, and vegetation engineering. On this long segment of a river that was canalized and straightened out in the 1930s, it wasn’t so much a question of understanding how a peri-urban territory could best enjoy the spectacle and amenities of a waterway as it was of allowing its ecosystem and man-made heritage (including its canal and the engineering works put in place to contain it) to form an environment once more, to widen out into a public landscape where inhabitants, market gardeners, and strollers could negotiate their coexistence with a population of things, trees, plants, birds, insects, and small mammals. And the same concern for the composition of each particular world—the same care towards the vital space and integrity in the landscape of the avenues in the biosphere that are waterways—can be found in many other of the firm’s projects, like, for example, the long and slender footbridge between Onex and Vernier (Geneva), where the pipe that takes waste water to the local treatment plant, rigorously dimensioned, has become the backbone of an aerial prestressed promenade spanning the environment of water, trees, and moraines that characterize this stretch of the Rhône—a canal-bridge of the Anthropocene. To do it justice, one would need to follow Atelier Descombes Rampini’s hydrographic project even further downstream, for example as far as the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône in Lyon (a sort of super Pointe de la Jonction), where the firm has defined a solid, simple, and resilient riverside public space, or in other metropolitan situations, like the Quai des Matériaux in Brussels, where today Atelier Descombes Rampini is endeavoring to amplify the public landscape of water. But that would take us too far, and we can usefully apply to criticism the Delphic precept that the firm applies to architecture: μηδἑν ἄγαν (“don’t overdo it”). Suffice it to point out, in this riverside vein, their reconfiguration of the shore in Bienne, a little miracle of lakeside economy located right near the man-made canal that drains the waters of the Aar, at a site and in a town that are a geographical analogue, and like a smaller-scale model, of Geneva: a way of envisaging a future, perhaps not so far off, where urban dwellers will have to spend their vacation at home.

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Climates As everyone knows, water doesn’t limit itself to flowing in streams and rivers or stagnating for longer or shorter periods in lakes; it evaporates, condenses, precipitates, drenches the land, flows, percolates through the pedosphere, and fills up the water table, activating along its way the metabolisms and cycles of a host of living beings. Streams, rivers, and lakes (“where everything goes”) are therefore only the most visible matrices of the world’s morpho-biological dynamics and drainage basins. All the places and all the ground that are exposed to the sun, and the sky and its precipitations—in addition to agricultural land that transforms sunlight and water into resources—are essentially, in urban territories, what we might call “commons.” Streets, squares, avenues, courtyards, infrastructure, sports facilities, the collective roadways and thoroughfares of neighborhoods, housing developments, etc. are not just programmed repositories for certain functions, persons, or events, nor spaces dedicated solely to the generalized circulation of goods and people, but intermediary worlds, located and oriented in relation to each other—in other words they are climates. A significant portion of Atelier Descombes Rampini’s work consists not so much in regulating as in tempering (in the musical and contrapuntal sense of the term) the common territories of the city and its periphery. Whether they concern the design of public or semipublic spaces in existing or newly created neighborhoods (the Champs de Boujean in Bienne, the Coupe Gordon-Bennett neighborhoods in the Communaux d’Ambilly, the Cherpines or Vernets neighborhoods in Geneva, the Vallon neighborhoods in Lausanne, etc.), the external spaces and footings of business and science parks (the Parc Scientifique et Technologique in Yverdon), landscapes “blasted” by major road infrastructure (the Thun Nord bypass in Bern), the design of urban axes and “soft” transport (at Yverdon or in the Ouest Lausannois district), or the remodeling, and urbanistic and landscape interpretation of vast urban zones (like the firm’s proposal for the whole of the Praille-Acacias-Vernets district in Geneva), all these projects systematically seek not just to reveal but above all to augment the topographic, gravitational, and climatic density of the commons, by indexing their planning and the economical distribution of the uses they support on the intelligence of the elemental dynamics (earth, air, fire, water) that shaped and oriented their territories and that cyclically renew their landscapes (seasons, etc.). Each time, the goal seems to be to slow down, decelerate, and lower the general temperature of these places in order to increase their resilience, sobriety, and intelligibility, and to “save the phenomena” there. Whatever their scale, from urban-agglomeration masterplans to the planning or repairing of local spaces in a neighborhoods, these projects endeavor, with a praiseworthy economy of means, to slow down the headlong rush towards an entropic lack of differentiation between things and places. They are all based on the principle that 108

the uses and joys of urbanity can be enriched by an approach that aims to cultivate—for the benefit of residents and passersby, and without indulging in the unnecessarily discursive—the phenomena, ambiences, and climates that are born of the always specific conditions produced by the meeting of soil, water, air, and light, as well as the intelligence of the connections and vistas that attach, locate, and orient each locale in the topography, scenography, and economy of a territory. Gardens In the philosophy of Atelier Descombes Rampini, a garden is just one “common” among others, but one that is more intense, where the experience of coexistence, of conviviality, and of belonging to the world (“the simple thing, the simple thing of here, the simple thing of being here, as day drains away” 9 )  becomes the essence of the matter. Moreover, in addition to the projects or realizations that clearly belong to the typology of the park or urban garden, like the Jardins d’Éole in Paris (designed in partnership with Georges Descombes and Atelier Corajoud), the Jardin de la Rouvenaz and the Jardin Miles Davis in Montreux, the network of pathways and clearings planned for the Bois-de-la-Bâtie in Geneva (and for the Groen Lint in Ostend) or even—a borderline case of a zoological enclave in the heart of the city—their proposal for the BearPark in Bern, many other of the firm’s projects (the rewilded course of the Aire, the Place d’Armes in Yverdon, the square and shore in Bienne, etc.) can also be considered, in whole or in part, quasi-gardens.

9. Saint-John Perse, Exil, V. Paris: Gallimard, 1945.

Two major figures must be distinguished here. The first is the line —vale, crest, balcony, path, promenade—to which must be given back their depth and range. Any territory, even if densely urbanized, is outlined and furrowed by folds and ribs, where the world and the landscape converge, either because their edges fold up, like in a vale, or because the gaze dominates or encompasses a horizon, like on a crest or the edge of a plateau. These oriented lines, where the world becomes condensed and concentrated, or flares out and widens, are vehicles and vistas, instruments of augmented reality, vectors of a journey home, “elsewheres,” “worlds of Narnia,” “News from Nowhere” (“now/here”—here and now) that urban dwellers—those tourists over-adapted to the oilcloth of bitumen and tarmac—have often forgotten. Many of the firm’s projects (such as those developed for the course of the Aire, for the Bois-de-la-Bâtie, for the “soft” transport in Yverdon, for the Ouest Lausannois, or the Groen Lint in Ostend), clearly endeavor to give back to these itineraries their continuity, their dynamism, and their otherness so that they can play, in their own way, a role that is analogous to that of the green corridors in the Plan Braillard or the promenades in Olmsted’s Park System, and thereby confer on the urban landscape and its surroundings the geographic density of a country. In this sense, the project for the Bern BearPark only illustrates the conclusion of a process at the end 109

of which urbanity might acclimatize, in its folds, all the components and species of its world. The other figure, which takes less after the dynamism of the park than the stasis of the garden proper, is the terrace or carpet, and, moreover, the expression coined to describe the scheme for the square in Bienne (“the sky in a carpet”) makes explicit reference to it. For the world is not only experienced in the movement and orientation of its ridges; it is also experienced in the chosen places that welcome, record, and reflect the cycles and passage of time. Like clearings opened up in the plan of the metropolis, Atelier Descombes Rampini’s urban gardens (Miles Davis, Jardins d’Éole, Turbinenplatz, etc.) take after both the observatory and the weather station. “If the human fact is conditioned by a greenhouse effect,” wrote Peter Sloterdijk, “the primary anthropic hothouses have initially no physical walls and roofs but, so to speak, only walls made of distance and roofs made of solidarity.” 10 At the very least, they have a soil and a climate: a zone where the world is both concentrated and dilated through calculated appropriation of the surroundings and a photosynthetic depth that holds in the atmosphere. In this sense, precisely located and oriented, stretched out like tablecloths, these gardens act like gnomons that animate the course of the sun and the clouds, like the true airports of a future without airplanes. For when they are precisely laid out, all gardens are flying carpets, machines for travelling through time and space. Squares

10. Sloterdijk, Peter. Foams. Bordeaux: Maren Sell Éditeurs, 2005, p. 319.

Walter Benjamin convincingly demonstrated that the objects of architectural production (buildings and structures), unlike those of the other arts, which are expressly intended to be contemplated, read, or heard (painting, sculpture, music, etc.), are not primarily intended to be looked at or admired, nor to arouse interest, but on the contrary to free the mind so as to economize its attention and allow it to be directed or concentrated elsewhere. In other terms, he said, the mode of perception that suits buildings is distraction or habituation, and architecture should thus endeavor to disappear, to avoid overly soliciting the gaze or imposing its works in the foreground of those who frequent, live in, or use them. Its mode of existence, to use a famous distinction of Heidegger’s, could be said to take more after the tool (zuhanden) and its availability, than the object (vorhanden) and its insistent presence. In short, the ability to be forgotten, not to be a subject, should be considered an essential quality of buildings, and their discretion should be considered as an intrinsic virtue, a sign of achievement. In fact, the artisan only looks at his tool (or the worker his machine) when he doesn’t have it in his hand or when it is malfunctioning. Benjamin probably didn’t mean that architecture doesn’t need to be beautiful, or that beauty has nothing to do with the functions a building must fulfil, but rather that the specific beauty of an architectural object is linked precisely to its ability to fluctuate 110

between the fore- and background. If this statement is true for architectural objects in the strict sense—built volumes or structures—it is just as true, and perhaps even more so, for the configuration of openair commons and the design of the objects and infrastructure that make up or occupy public space and the landscape. To the extent that they stretch across the city or the landscape more than they rise up in it, but also because they flow into each other and their limits or frontiers are less defined and more porous than those of buildings, these public and collective spaces (streets, squares, quaysides, avenues, parks, etc.), even more than buildings, are subject to fluctuating perception. This mode of existence exposes them to two ordinary “abuses,” in theory opposites, but that are in fact complementary and often combined: either indifference and banality, which make of them mere aggregations of norms, routines, rules, and standard solutions (coatings, plantings, materials, furnishings, etc.) that were conceived independently of each other, and that have the effect of erasing them as specifically located spaces, or, on the contrary, an overinvestment in factitious design and identity (or “image”) that is intended to give them existence as protagonists in the urban landscape, but which often results in their withdrawal from the common order so that they become subject to specific uses—they become specific facilities—or even subject to clearly commercial and private interests (for example all those pedestrian zones that have become the halls and galleries of neighborhoods, transformed de facto into malls). A considerable part of Atelier Descombes Rampini’s work, right from the outset, has been to do with this sort of situation or urban room, and has in particular included a number of squares and piazzas, those places of space and convergence, theatres of all sorts of individual and collective activities, where the city sets up a rendezvous with itself. The creation of Turbinenplatz in the former industrial neighborhoods of Zurich West and the reconfiguration of Geneva’s Place Simon-Goulart and Plaine de Plainpalais are among the firm’s most noteworthy realizations in this register. But several competition projects or schemes currently under construction also clearly illustrate this vein in their work, such as Escher-Wyss Platz in Zurich, Neumarktplatz in Bienne, the Place d’Armes in Yverdon, and the Esplanade du Flon in Lausanne. All of these projects, whether or not realized, and while very different in nature and in the vocabularies and facilities deployed, nonetheless testify, each and every one, to the particular care given to the mode of existence of urban public squares, which is to say their essential availability. A square, the implicit philosophy of Atelier Descombes Rampini’s projects tells us, is at once a clearing and a grove, an esplanade and an arboretum. Like a clearing, it is open, “vacant,” the expression of a ground, of a “plain” or a discrete surface, which, without requiring attention from the passer-by, is also fitted out and organized so as to allow various temporary configurations (markets, fairs, and other events). But like the grove or the arboretum, thanks to the greenery that cadences or circumscribes it, to the levels and shadow lines that contain and balance it, to the projections that are its pools, tables, and solid 111

benches, and that orient and calm it, the square is also laid out like a potential volume, an open-air milieu, an ambience that could be self-sufficient, a pause or semibreve that, in the urban rhapsody of semiquavers welcomes the world, as in a sanctuary.11 At the end of this short promenade through Atelier Descombes Rampini’s projects and through its “pensée du dehors” 12 —this philosophy of things and of public space that the office has put into operation—what particularly stands out is the way the firm has already grappled with a great variety of the elements and situations that make up the urban condition and that constitute the fabric of its territories, and how it has always endeavored—with a praiseworthy economy— to repair, reveal, and develop them, and to configure them as the components of and points in an ecumene. And that, in essence, is what may be understood by the title of our contribution: making a world.

11. It should be noted that this approach, this search for stability, doesn’t necessarily lead to simplifying or reducing, but sometimes also to complexifying and overinvesting in places that are far too simplistic or oriented. This is the case with the firm’s scheme for the Escher-Wyss Platz in Zurich (designed in partnership with the artist Fabrice Gygi), which proposed, by way of a counterpoint of kiosks underneath and a superstructure of skyscraper needles above, to transform the motorway interchange into both a volume of different uses and an urban landmark—a way of snatching infrastructure back from the monotony of traffic flow. 12. Michel Foucault, “thought of/from the outside.” 112

Luca Pattaroni

The Urban Art of Possibility Elements for a Friche Diagram of Public Space

From Puerta del Sol to Place Tahrir, the movements of popular insurrection of the early 21st century vividly remind us of the fundamental nature of the public spaces that punctuate our cities. By occupying public squares and spilling over into the streets, these urban movements show us that our democracies have a vital need for space. This space allows us not only to debate and show our refusal, but also to experience and share activities like chatting, organizing, cooking, eating, playing, laughing, and even seducing, which fuel our desire to be together. Thus, beyond its functional role as an area of transit (and to which the modern city has tried to confine it), public space is a place for gathering and the encounters necessary for the emergence of political discourse and the practical invention of our lives together. In other words, it is not an abstraction or a mere void where the masses and great differences magically meet. Rather, it is an intertwining of shaped and populated spaces where encounters with others (or polite avoidance of them) are played out in clothing, rules, asphalt, stones, benches, and trees. Its layout requires not only an interplay of looks and signs, but physical footholds for the body that in turn open up certain possibilities and close off others. It thus allows us the possibility of approaching others or distancing ourselves from them (or avoiding them, scrutinizing them, politely crossing paths, seducing them, walking with them, or running after them). But we can also move quickly, get comfortable, bend over, lean, stretch, tie our shoelaces, have a rest, or lie down. A much wider range of activities than just walking, stopping, sitting and consuming, which the standardized imaginary of urban functions has been reduced to.

1. Foucault, Michel. Surveiller et punir, naissance de la prison. Paris: Gallimard, 1975.

In light of this, the spatial configuration of public space should be considered an active scenography of the political possibilities of cohabitation. The public space is a full space that acts as a “mechanism of power,” 1 to use philosopher Michel Foucault’s term. By this we mean that the practical layout of the public space helps in creating a model for social and political life by opening up certain possibilities and closing others. 113

We must therefore try to reveal the “diagram” (or rather the diagrams) that inform the public spaces that punctuate our cities. By “diagram” we mean the design of the “mechanism of power” behind a specific form. A well-known example is the panopticon prison model, whereby the guard can see all of the cells. Beyond being a “pure architectural and optical system,” Foucault invites us to consider it as a “figure of political technology that can and ought to be detached from any specific use.” 2 In return, the diagram spreads by the setting up of situations, systems, and “arrangements” —to use Deleuze and Guattari’s term 3 —where the mechanism of power is perfected. This means a certain relationship between the utterable and the visible. It is here that we find the concrete forms of our public spaces as they were designed. Drawing upon this theoretical expression, the idea of diagram should help us consider that which, behind a certain way of planning the world, points to a political model of cohabitation and links spatial configurations and human experiences, regulating emancipation and oppression in a completely new way. By its diagram, planning reveals its profoundly political nature; it is a mechanism of power where hopes for a certain form of urban life and relationship to the world and others is played out in each realization. As such, we would like to propose a specific reading of Atelier Descombes Rampini’s achievements. This reading, which looks beyond the mere diversity of the projects, seeks basic elements wherein a diagram of the public space in rupture with the dominant forms inherited from the modern ideals of the industrial city come through. We will call this novel approach the friche diagram, in contrast to the modern diagram of public space, which we will call the plan diagram. As we will see, in the city’s contemporary conditions of production, the plan diagram presents rigid, problematic forms. This negative development of public space has made it necessary to invent other diagrams for opening up the urban potential and reinvigorating the democratic experience of daily coexistence and the institution of cohabitation. It is in this sense that I propose we interpret Atelier Descombes Rampini’s work: as a rough, sometimes explicit, sometimes more unconscious draft of emancipatory thinking about public space in the contemporary Western city. 2. Ibid. 3. Deleuze, Gilles and Félix Guattari. Mille Plateaux. Paris: Éditions de Minuit, 1980. 4. Isaac Joseph “Reprendre la rue” in Isaac Joseph (dir.), Prendre place: espace public et culture dramatique. Paris: Editions Recherches, 1995.

The plan: a modern diagram of public space

Sociologists have long suggested that the accessibility of the modern public space—which should allow for the peaceful coexistence of city dwellers, though strangers to one other—was both a question of spatial configuration allowing for free movement and a political horizon of hospitality whose reputation can be found in the writings of Kant.4 This classic figure of public space thus reveals 114

a diagram based on a strict division of private spaces of intimacy and public spaces of transit. He refers to a key figure of urban life —the passerby—who wanders the city and shows polite inattention when crossing paths with others.5 From a spatial point of view, we can argue that this diagram is based on what Deleuze and Guattari call “striated” space (versus “smooth” space).6 These two spatial figures notably highlight two ways of handling and engaging with the surface of the world. Smooth space is the open, directional space of the nomad, occupies by “the intensities, winds and noises, the forces and tactile and sound qualities, like in the desert, the steppe or ices. The creaking of the ice and song of the sands.” 7 Striated space results from a process of “closing a surface and ‘redividing’ it based on specific intervals along predetermined lines.” 8 Striated space is thus the product of the rationalization of space, like the gradual striation of the seas through the development of a cartographic system based on a grid of longitudes and latitudes.9 Behind the striation of spaces we find the slow process of linearization of borders that is the basis of the cadastral system.10 The linearity of the barrier that delimits private property replaces the thickness of the woods that protected medieval villages and housed their commons. The idea of plan clearly refers to this work of dimensioning and delimiting.

5. Goffman, Erving. La mise en scène de la vie quotidienne II (Les Relations en public). Paris: Les Editions de Minuit, 1973. 6. Deleuze, Gilles and Félix Guattari, Mille Plateaux, op. cit. 7. Ibid. p. 598. 8. Ibid. p. 600. 9. Ibid. p. 598. 10. Raffestin, Claude. Pour une géographie du pouvoir. Paris: Librairies techniques, 1980. 11. Breviglieri, Marc and John StavoDebauge “L’hypertrophie de l’oeil. Pour une anthropologie du ‘passant singulier qui s’aventure à découvert,’” in Céfaï, Daniel and Carole Saturno (dir.), Itinéraires d’un pragmatiste. Autour d’Isaac Joseph. Paris: Economica, 2007.

In order to make the link with contemporary thinking about public space, it is important to remember that these smooth and striated spaces differ not only—and sometimes not at all, as the striation of the seas suggests—in their materiality but also in the their relationship to the world. Thus, smooth space reflects a haptic perception, where “the creaking of the ice and song of the sands” are important. Striated space, on the other hand, reflects the rise in power characteristic of modernity and a visual perception of the world. In fact, the thinking behind and project of modern public spaces are indissociable from the eye, which allows us to understand without touching.11 The modern diagram of public space is therefore that of strictly delimited copresence, where our relationship to others is that of a reserved, polite glance. The layouts are striated, with an area of use for each user group (like the boundary between the street and the sidewalk) and each person in his or her place (like on benches where each space is clearly delimited). This diagram was underpinned by the emergence of a model of urbanity based on the interaction between autonomous, responsible individuals. The public space is in plan form, both in its sizing and its delimiting properties, but also in its projection of calculated, predictable uses.

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As Deleuze and Guattari also suggest, the smooth and striated intermingle in spaces and uses; that which is striated can become smooth again, and vice versa. In fact, the modern passerby is always somewhere between a rational figure—a wise user of urban spaces and transportation systems—and a kind of nomad resistance (that of the Baudelairean flâneur). We must therefore consider striation and smoothing processes conjointly. In this respect, contemporary forms of production and management of the city in both the North and the South tend to harden the process of striation of public space, straying as such from the modern project’s promise of emancipation and peaceful coexistence. We feel we must take a detour here through a brief description of these contemporary tendencies to reveal by contrast the political and planning issues of a renewed diagram of public space based on the figure of the friche.

The collapse of public space

Though long considered a forum for bringing together citizens from all walks of life—its layout en plan theoretically allowing for reasonable and regulated encounters between citizens—public space now faces collapse as a result of two major processes. The first is that of avoidance and enclosure. Driven by the fear of others, the respectful distance between strangers that once fostered civility in public places is becoming distancing by suspicion. We are thus seeing an increase in barries and the privatiation of public and intermediary spaces. Striation becomes a support for this closing off and for marking taboos and exclusion. On a smaller scale, for instance, individual seats, though initially designed to ensure that each person could exist in the public space, have merged with defensive architecture. Benches are increasingly sectioned by armrests, which not only guarantee distance between bodies but also prevent other types of uses, notably sleeping. As we shall see, Atelier Descombes Rampini refuses this type of reductionist mechanisms by extension and interlacings.

12. Breviglieri, Marc. “Une brèche critique dans la ‘ville garantie’? Espaces intercalaires et architectures d’usage,” in CogatoLanza, Elena, Luca Pattaroni, Mischa Piraud, and Barbara Tirone, De la différence urbaine. Le quartier des Grottes/Genève. Geneva: Métis Presses, 2013. 13. Ibid. p. 214.

Another process that begins at the heart of efforts to counteract the effects of enclosure and promote a so-called inclusive city paradoxically reinforces this hardening of the striation. As Marc Breviglieri aptly describes with the idea of the “guaranteed city,” 12 our public spaces—try as they may to be open and diverse—are gradually losing their sensitive intensity and power to disturb as a result of excessive attention to projects and regulations. Urban projects today must guarantee, i.e., via experts, certifications, and indicators, a set of certified urban qualities that includes diverse shops, fluid traffic, and lively places.13 These efforts do not truly 116

differentiate spaces and uses in the city, as these regulated forms of diversity—under the auspices of control and profitability—are no longer a source of difference (nor of disorder or experience). Our desire to do things well and its translation into a standardization of plans, norms, and indicators paradoxically impoverishes our urban experiences. Striation thus loses its emancipatory power to become a place of oppression by norms.14 Consequently, even when attempting to guarantee a public space for varied and efficient uses, the contemporary city is a witness to the gradual blurring of spaces once rich with intense and diverse appropriations.

Architectural policies for public space

The architect/urban planner’s work takes on all of its political and poetic significance faced with this potential collapse of the public space. Hence the importance of policy based not on sweeping principles but on the invention of concrete forms that can embrace and give birth to a plurality of uses of the city. Poetics that can fuel the possibility of emancipated uses of the city, in spite of increasing planning expectations and regulatory constraints. The urban planning and architecture in question here and that we see in Atelier Descombes Rampini’s projects is not that of a hypothetical demiurge who designs a just world from plans. Rather, the architect is more like a funambulist who must constantly juggle forms and scales to embrace and intensify the ordinary face of the city—in the words of De Certeau alternately using strategies and tactics. He is a strategist when he designs and creates new spaces in the city, and a tactician when he nibbles away at open spaces on the margins of busy plans or when blurring the boundaries between inorganic and organic. Ultimately the challenge is not so much guaranteeing a set of functions than leaving room to maneuver, where “architectures of usage” 15 self-actualize and unique appropriation of the city asserts itself. These hospitable spaces are thus grounded in another diagram of public space, wherein smoothing processes take place so as to make public spaces more hospitable to the many uses and experiences that give the public life of the city its intensity. 14. Thévenot, Laurent. “Le gouvernement par les normes; pratiques et politiques des formats d’information,” in Conein, Bernard and Laurent Thévenot (dir.), Cognition et information en société, Raisons Pratiques, 8. Paris: Editions de l’EHESS, 1997. 15. Breviglieri, Marc. “Une brèche critique dans la ‘ville garantie’? Espaces intercalaires et architectures d’usage,” op. cit., p. 214.

This smoothing is rooted in the thought on city and space inspired by the counter-culture movements of the 1970s and 80s. These movements fought for greater sharing and appropriation of the city and acceptance of different lifestyles. The architects of Atelier Descombes Rampini, both heirs of these critical traditions and actors who produce the city today, do not produce spaces artificially; they do not, for instance, design spaces to look like squats or industrial wastelands, as we unfortunately often see in the 117

contemporary spatial designs of the so-called “creative” city.16 Instead, they perpetuate this alternative thinking through contemporary design aimed at sharing and blurring functions and uses more generally. From this emerges a relationship to space reminiscent to that of the friche insofar as it reflects the beginning of a new vision forged on a preexisting materiality. The friche is both palimpsest and vacant land; it establishes an oblique relationship between materiality and use—that of potentialization and the opening of possibilities. To see this friche diagram in the architects’ work, one must start from the experience their spaces create. As the distinction between smooth and striated space suggests, spatial differences relate to different ways of thinking about (knowledge) and experiencing space.

From experience to diagram Place Simon-Goulart, narrative of an experience

As a geographer recently wrote, the problem with privatized public spaces that are too regulated and controlled is the lack of energy that results from their overly civilized use.17 Entirely different, however, is the energy that emanates from these slightly chaotic situations, where the spectacle of teeming life woven from manifold uses acts as an intoxicating catalyst for our own freedom. It is precisely such energy that was palpable on June 26 on Place Simon-Goulart. After days and days of chilly gloom we felt the urgency of the body and the profoundly human pleasure of being with others in the fresh air that afternoon on Place Simon-Goulart, warmed by the sun and teeming with people.

16. Carmo, Leticia, Luca Pattaroni, Mischa Piraud, and Yves Pedrazzini “Creativity without Critique: An Inquiry into the Aesthetization of the Alternative Culture,” in Lisbon Street Art and Urban Creativity. Lisbon: Pedro Soares and Daniela Simoes, 2014. 17. Bradley L Garrett, “The privatisation of cities’ public spaces is escalating. It is time to take a stand”. blog in Cities, The Guardian, 2016, https://gu.com/ p/4b2k8/stw. 18. Marcel Hénaff, La ville qui vient. Paris: L’Herne, 2008.

This energy was mainly due to the joyful hubbub that rose from the crowd, but also as a result of the different activities taking place: while some picnicked on big wooden tables covered with tablecloths and carefully prepared meals, others were simply there, sitting by themselves and yet a part of it all. Further off, some teenagers were lying down talking and flirting on the soft, smooth concrete of the square that, at the same time, enthralled younger children, who were happy to demonstrate their bike and scooter skills. Everywhere bodies at rest mingled with those in movement, making use of the street furniture in the most diverse ways. The tables alternately were a support for a plate or book, but also a floor to sit or lie down on. The generous perimeter of the large fountain perfectly fulfilled its function as a place to sit and put one’s feet in the water, or lean towards one’s lover. It is precisely at the junction of these diverse positions and rhythms, of the indeterminate nature of the furniture, and of the generosity of the open spaces that the profond pleasure of being in public is born (where the “desire for city” 18 118

gets its strenght), inflating the emancipatory feeling of a space of possibilities. In the funambulist art of designing public space that juggles the various constraints, one can see the lineaments of a diagram of the public space en friche taking shape. This revolves around three major planning principles, which inherently oppose those of the plan diagram. 1. Whereas the disjunctive principle of the plan diagram of public space separates functions, public and private and even interior and exterior, in Atelier Descombes Rampini’s work interlacing can be found, blurring boundaries and encouraging the notion of sharing. 2. Rather than the systematic and static guaranteeing of functions, the architects boldly use an open design of public spaces with few amenities—veritable fallow ground dynamically awaiting appropriations and uses. 3. Finally, instead of the visual reduction of the plan diagram whereby the body is kept at a distance, the architects respond by emphasizing haptic dimensions—that of the engaged body and, more fundamentally, of the space we appropriate when we immerse ourselves. These different principles are evident in projects as varied as the Plaine de Plainpalais, Place du Rhône, Place Simon-Goulart, the banks of the Aire, the Fil du Rhône in Geneva, the Jardins d’Éole in Paris, the lakeside in Bienne and Turbinenplatz in Zurich. Each of these spaces uses a friche diagram of public space by linking scales, rhythms, and varied activities in situations with rich potential. The friche diagram of public space Interlacings As we have already suggested, the modern plan diagram of public space is founded on the principles of separation and disjunction. The political and spatial figure of the public/private divide is underpinned by the fine grid enabled by the linearizing of boundaries. The distinguishing of different activities and individual places (and zoning in general) translates this planning horizon into the development level. Conversely, when passersby stop in Turbinenplatz, take a seat in Place du Rhône or stroll along the redeveloped banks of the Aire, they are confronted by street furniture of unusual proportions (benches measuring up to two-meters-long by four-meters-wide and others that form large circles). With this simple but effective resizing principle, Atelier Descombes Rampini breaks with the classic metrics of public space and in so doing, with the identifying and clear delimiting 119

of individual spaces. The street furniture thus creates a collective scale that forces people to be physically closer and that blurs uses, as the object can alternately be a step, a table, a bed, or a surface for bike riding. This entanglement and blurring extends beyond the furniture and shapes the very fabric of the space through systematic “folding.” Thus the sides of the pools in Turbinenplatz become bleachers and the low wall surrounding and delimiting the Plainpalais skate park becomes a bench. In each case, the architects, in their own words, introduce “a maximum of generosity in terms of hospitality.” And so, as walls gradually become resting places and boundaries thicken, a hospitable world emerges that pervades the previous stabilized functions. These principles of blurring and interlacing can also be found in the architects’ landscape designs, such as the Jardin d’Éole, where different levels are juxtaposed and tight vegetation complicates the visual fabric. Passersby feel like they are of getting lost as they wander among the reeds. Further along, a bench and strip of concrete extend out and disappear into the grass, making the separation of the spaces all the less clear and creating a new dialogue between nature and culture. The same is true of the pools in Turbinenplatz, which, with their exuberant vegetation, shatter and punctuate the concrete surface, again disturbing the passerby accustomed to alternations of nature and urbanity that are horizontal and regular. But it is the encounter with a partially wild prairie and convivial street furniture on the periphery of the Coupe Gordon-Bennett neighborhood that catches us off guard. Suddenly, the passerby hesitates to venture onto the lawn, though the tables seem to invite him or her to do so. It is by familiarizing ourselves with these places— by becoming an inhabitant—that we feel comfortable in places and fully appropriate them. Public space thus becomes more porous, making room for areas of uncertainty that, over time, potentialize true appropriation. This art of entanglement also plays out on a larger scale, as in the Jardins d’Éole, where Atelier Descombes Rampini decided to put part of the park—in paticular a snack bar and tables—outside of the park fences to open them for use outside of park hours. Inside thus becomes outside, and in so doing (as with the oversized benches), the architects refuse to comply with security norms or the strict delimiting of uses to avoid so-called unwarranted appropriations. Rather they trust users to resolve these issues without fear of conflict. The contention surrounding the Jardins d’Éole’s “external/outside” installations ultimately mobilized the presence of the neighborhood residents association on the premises, making it all the more lively. But it is in the splendid rewilding of the Aire that this art of smoothing and making spaces porous and hybrid finds its full expression. Thus 120

do concrete buttresses—a safety requirement in the event of flooding—become magnificent steps that embrace the river, conjuring up an urban vision right in the heart of the countryside. The suggestiveness of the installations creates not only opportunities for use but another publicization of the space: that of a shared Anthropocene in which interlacings reinvent our urbanity.

Fallow ground

Among the other negative effects of over-guaranteeing the qualities of public space via the plan is the current tendency toward overloading spaces in terms of functions. As we already know, this results from a combination of the manifold expectations of the project and the mechanical addition of different users and uses. Thus public space simultaneously fills up and becomes static, impervious to reversibility and diversions. Conversely, the friche diagram renews itself by putting the program at arm’s length and by reinventing what is understood by wasteland. And so a kind of urban planning emerges that is not afraid of emptiness or voids; on the contrary, Atelier Descombes Rampini embraces them as a way of punctuating spaces and keeping them open for undetermined uses. The firm was therefore quite comfortable with the large open spaces of the Plaine de Plainpalais. When the scale decreases however, as with Place Simon-Goulart, there is no sense of urgency to fill the void; instead they decided to free up the central area. Like fallow ground, the surfaces here await future or cyclical use and yet lend themselves to present uses. Public space thus becomes a process, acquiring temporal depth. To accompany these different states and simultaneously guarantee a program’s functions, the necessary infrastructure and facilities are then skillfully and discretely inserted into the spatial fabric—in other words, by not overdetermining spatial uses and activities. To accommodate the circus in the Plaine de Plainpalais in Geneva, rather than make permanent fixtures in the concrete for the tent pillars and risk losing flexibility, the architects opted for a surface that could accommodate a fastening system and resist animal urine. The public space thus adapts itself to these different uses while conserving a common base over time. This approach of designing fallow ground goes hand in hand with a more general reserve that is the hallmark of Atelier Descombes Rampini’s work and, we posit, a certain en friche philosophy. Creating spectacular architecture and filling voids are not the goal here, as such an approach would only stifle a space’s potential by attempting to guarantee certain uses and emotions. Whereas here, the indeterminate nature of these spaces reveals the lost world of the wastelands where we once played forbidden games. 121

Immersion Finally, friche necessitates immersion (of bodies and work to make the space available for other uses). Whereas the plan diagram is based on distancing and is limited to an essentially visual perception, the fallow ground of the friche invites us to play and engage all of our senses in an effort to bring new life to it. It is in this respect that the Atelier’s public spaces ask to be touched and experimented with. Beyond the visual coherence, the different material—essentially high-quality wood and finely-worked concrete —respond to one another and are also chosen for how they feel to the touch. The shapes and materials invite us to enter, to sit, and to use the space. As we have already seen, the smooth concrete in Place SimonGoulart lends itself not only to sliding but to teenagers simply hanging out. It is not surprising that architects enthusiastically support projects that actively engage bodies, like the bathing area at Lake Bienne, the banks of the Rhône at the Jonction, or the future beach at Eaux-Vives. Through such projects, the architects help to shift our contemplative relationship to water, wherein the eye predominates, towards one of immersion. They therefore design spaces with haptic qualities for bare skin, like the large wooden platforms that extend the banks, becoming thresholds between the public of the street and the private of the bathing area. Originally a large lawn was also planned for the Eaux-Vives project, which would also have served as a critical threshold and space to be appropriated. In Bienne, this threshold becomes an invitation; the beach emerges in a subtle continuum with the concrete elements that advance and intertwine in the sand. Nature becomes a coexistential extension of urbanity. We can easily imagine the passerby undressing while walking and diving into the lake. The clearing principle—like that of the large lawn at the Lyon Confluence—thus functions not only as an “unzoning” but also as a call to bodies to appropriate the materials, thereby generously encouraging immersion. So it is through this overflowing, entangling, folding, and sharing, where the possibilities for the body are innumerable, that multiple uses are potentialized and emancipated from the suffocating effects of our world of guaranteed qualities. By combining the principles of entanglement, fallowing, and clearing, the architects renew the diagram of public space. In this new diagram, the imaginary and contemporary potential of the friche, with its capacity to open up new possibilities from what exists, reinvents itselves. This contemporary diagram of the friche and how it produces public space has become essential as abandoned land, empty building 122

and industrial wastelands are gradually disappearing and thus are no longer the “miracle” solution to urban suffocation that they were in the 1980s. This design is ultimately that of an urban art of possibilities whose heart is not striated space—that of clear rules and boundaries—but the smooth and seamless space of the nomad. This is a nomadism of uses, of loose and intense principles, where the pleasure of being in the city is imaginatively invented. A diagram that does not imply abandoning the project but, as Atelier Descombes Rampini’s architectural spaces suggest, allowing for gaps between form and use (the oblique relationship of the friche) and implementing procedural thinking about the public space. Here development is not “completion” but the initial act. The diagram thus becomes a “mechanism of power” that opens to a culture of pluralistic and hospitable public spaces.

The art of the friche and trusting the user

Through various architectural and planning techniques that potentialize uses that appropriate the city, Atelier Descombes Rampini returns to what Lefebvre called the œuvre dimension of the city.19 By this he meant practices that contribute to the singularization of uses of the city through appropriation, not simply repeating the product. In the architecture project, space is intrinsically connected to the daily acts and experiences that forge our attachment to the city. It is therefore not a matter of trying to create great “monuments” in a policy of attractiveness and competition between cities via what is exception and spectacular, but of producing the footholds of daily life that underpin the pleasure we take in using the city and that, in turn, forge our attachment to it.20 Atelier Descombes Rampini’s public spaces are not only beautiful because their aesthetics are fluid and minimalist, but also (and perhaps more importantly) because they are designed with hospitality in mind, as we gradually discover as we familiarize ourselves with them by immersing ourselves.

19. Lefebvre, Henri. Le droit à la ville. Paris: Anthropos, 1968. 20. Breviglieri, Marc. “Une brèche critique dans la ‘ville garantie’? Espaces intercalaires et architectures d’usage”, in CogatoLanza, Elena, Luca Pattaroni, Mischa Piraud, and Barbara Tirone, De la différence urbaine. Le quartier des Grottes/Genève, op. cit.

One of Marc Breviglieri’s suggestions for escaping the paradoxes of the guaranteed city and the inhospitable future of its striations is to trust users.21 It is not a question of participation here but of “making available” through the partial withdrawal of the architect. In fact, the paradox of participation is precisely that of openness to difference, which ultimately results in the creation of spaces that are so designated to a given use (due to reinforced regulatory framework of the guaranteed city—and its plan diagram—both materially and socially) that they reduce the possibilities. Conversely, friche thinking implies less participation beforehand and more room for appropriation and “architectures of use” later on.

21. Ibid. 123

The architectures that result from daily appropriation and diverted uses gradually reshape the spaces and forms of the city it welcomes. This is friche in its most fundamental sense: a place whose potential is actualized by appropriation. Atelier Descombes Rampini’s architecture therefore asserts open forms and the possibility of unknown and unforeseen uses now and in the future. To the never-ending quest for guarantees, the designers respond by risking a four-handed plan, those of the architect and those of users. An approach wherein the design guides and welcomes without restricting, where simplicity is a necessary counterpart to the potentialization of uses and the friche culture of public space, the true common space of our cities.

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Laurent Goei

Photographs 2015

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1. The expression “project in the making” echoes the “text in the making” as imagined by Pierre-Marc de Biasi, one of the principal contributors to the genetic approach to literature, which consists of analyzing the genesis of a work based on the manuscripts used to develop it. In 2000, the researcher devoted a special issue of Genesis to applying this technique to architecture: de Biasi, Pierre-Marc. “L’approche génétique de l’architecture.” Special issue Genesis, Architecture, 14 (2000): 13–65. 2. The genetic approach (see definition above) is a valuable tool for understanding the contemporary production of public spaces. Common analyses specifically look at project intentions at a given moment, more often than not of the completed project, and therefore do not take into account the considerations, constraints, methods, and developments that led to these results. 3. These two squares are part of a small corpus of projects analyzed in a dissertation the author is currently working on at the EPFL, under the direction of Bruno Marchand. The work looks at contemporary trends in urban public space design in Europe analyzed from a design perspective. 4. In French, the procedure is called mandats d’étude parallèles (MEP), a type of limited mandate specific to Switzerland. 5. Development of the neighborhood was notable due to an agreement between the city of Zurich and landowners that allowed for greater densification than provided by the current plans, in exchange for generous, high-quality public spaces that will subsequently be bequeathed to the city.

Embracing the Ordinary: Behind the Design of Public Spaces

Essential though it may be, a simple retrospective of a firm’s career and work is not enough to characterize it: understanding architects’, landscapers’ and urban planners’ work implies considering the know-how they have developed over the years, the focal themes that have guided their work, their concerns about the transformation of the urbana landscape, and the methods they use—in other words, the way they understand and design the city and its spaces. To describe the design approach that forges a firm’s identity, it is sometimes necessary to look specifically at one of its achievements. In this in-depth investigation, the project in the making 1 —the creative process revealed when we explore archives and listen attentively to designers’ retrospective accounts—can prove as important as studying the project itself. The order in which the various components of a project appear, notes and design sketches, hesitations, experimentations, and reversals that emerge from a genetic reading 2 of the design are all key indicators of the project designers’ position. To reveal this “invisible dimension” of the Atelier Descombes Rampini’s work and to better appreciate what distinguishes it from current trends in public space design, I will focus on two public squares that define the firm’s career: the now-famous Turbinenplatz in Zurich (2000–2003, see pages 204–207) and more recently, Place Simon-Goulart in Geneva (2003–2013, see pages 220–221).3

Squares for a new relational urban landscape

In early 2000, the fledgling firm was asked to participate in a competition 4 in Zurich along with three Swiss-German firms and a Ticino firm. The study was for the construction of a large square in downtown Zurich West,5 a rapidly changing industrial neighborhood. The square in question—dubbed Turbinenplatz on the occasion of the neighborhood’s redevelopment—was surrounded by streets on three sides and defined spatially by four building facades. The goal: to turn it into a lively haven in keeping with the neighborhood’s overall transformation. 189

The Atelier won the competition. To the critique expressed in the competition brief that the current square was too much of a “thoroughfare,” 6 the architects responded with a unique “facade to facade” design that blurs the presence of the streets, giving predominance to pedestrians and offering a coherent view of the empty space. The proposed quadrilateral is linked by a large rainwater infiltration basin and three grass flower beds that loosely define the space’s “center” and “periphery.” The uniform, horizontal ground surface is punctuated by a series of parallel gutters that act as a kind of “giant hydraulic machine.” Upon this Cartesian base, a number of large benches and birch trees are randomly dispersed. At night, multicolored lighting contrasts with the “minimalist” design, offering an enchanting spectacle. Three years later, with the construction of Turbinenplatz in full swing, the firm entered another public space design competition, this time in familiar territory. The project was organized as part of the “Place!” program, initiated by the Geneva government in the early 1990s to revitalize a number of Geneva’s emblematic sites.7

6. Bayer, Beatrice. “Aus städtebaulicher Sicht nimmt der Platz die ganze Spannweite von Fassade zu Fassade ein, in der Praxis wird die Platznutzung eingeschränkt durch den Verkehr,” Studien-auftrag Gestaltung Turbinenplatz. Programm, SulzerEscher Wyss, Zurich, March 8, 2000, p. 3. 7. Weil, Marcos. “Aménagement des places publiques à Genève.” Interface 18 (2013): 8–14. 8. “In town without my car!” 9. “[...] The great strength of the project lies in the creation of uses.” City of Geneva, Municipal Department of Building and Road Management, Mandat d’études parallèles. Réaménagement des places Longemalle, Pré-l’Evêque, Simon-Goulart. Rapport du groupe d’expert, Geneva, June 24, 2003, p. 23. 10. In the end, the circular bench was not built, as the area south of the Saugey building was removed from the perimeter of intervention during the installation of the tram and the development of the surrounding area on Rue de la Coutance.

The commission was for Place Simon-Goulart, located on the vestiges of medieval fortifications, that today serves as link between the Saint-Gervais district’s medieval fabric and the 19th-century belt (called fazyste), where the historic walls once stood. As a result of its unique history, the square is surrounded by a patchwork of buildings: the temple of Saint-Gervais to the south, a series of primarily residential buildings to the east, and the gabled facade of a slab building designed by architect Marc-Joseph Saugey to the north. A street, Rue Terreaux-du-Temple, delimits the fourth side, beyond which two schools are located. The decision to permanently transform the existing parking lot into a user-friendly space was taken after a successful temporary pedestrian design experiment tested in 2002 as part of the “En ville sans ma voiture!” 8 initiative. On this occasion, the Atelier distinguished itself from the four other competitors by its attention to uses in their proposed conversion of the square.9 The team subdivided the square into several areas using different ground surfacing to suggest different functions and uses. The temple, for instance, is brought out by a slightly raised, light-colored stone plaza. A large gravel rectangle at the center of the square serves as a space for festivities and events. Wooden flooring fitted with furniture elements lines this central area, which is bordered by trees that screen it from the street. The different surfaces are unified by a cement coating applied to the entire area of the block, marking the continuation of the sidewalk and transit areas. As the only added element, a circular fountain in the square echoes a bench of a similar shape in the southern part of the square, at the center of which is a tree.10

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Historic, spatial, and contextual integration

In Zurich West, there is a strong interest in the area’s history, which is why the designers naturally focused on the area’s industrial past, which, reinterpreted in different ways, manifested itself at several stages in the project development. One senses this in the design of the gutters that structure the square at a smaller scale and emphasize the neighborhood’s east-west orientation by reproducing the strict orthogonal geometry of the industrial fabric (in this case, a freight yard). At night, this linear structure is echoed by artificial yellow lighting in one direction and blue in the other. These spatial structuring elements also resonate with two nearby local infrastructures— the Limmat River and the tracks from the main railway station—that fix Turbinenplatz within the broader landscape. In their final form, the gutters were adorned with cast iron sections, a nod to Sulzer Escher-Wyss foundry’s past and the platforms and tracks still visible here and there on the site. The emphasis on this feature is obvious in the design process, with more than twenty variations that aim to create a formally and functionally compelling solution. This process highlights the great complexity behind this seemingly “minimalist” design. To achieve the desired effect, the tracks—like the benches and lampposts—were made to measure in homage to the standardized industrial production that finds its full meaning in this converted site. Finally, the designers playfully drew on the wasteland reference and its rebirth by natural (re)conquest by planting birch trees, a pioneer species rare to urban areas, along with three beds of herbaceous plants that evoke abandoned industrial landscapes. Thus the design process integrates the site’s history as much as it alters it, as the designers themselves point out. “By interpreting existing elements in connection with the place’s new function, its transformation carries with it the signs of its industrial past.” 11

11. Atelier Descombes Rampini, Sulzer Escher-Wyss, Conception générale de l’espace public. Projet d’aménagement de la Turbinenplatz, May 26, 2000, p. 5. Extract corresponding to the German text on the competition rendering boards. 12. City of Geneva, Municipal Department of Building and Road Management, Mandat d’études parallèles. Réaménagement des places Longemalle, Pré-l’Evêque, SimonGoulart. Rapport du groupe d’expert, op. cit., p. 23.

Meanwhile at Place Simon-Goulart, integration into the larger site was not as explicit in the project’s narrative dimension as it was for Turbinenplatz, and thus it takes a different form. The context is naturally quite different: with Simon-Goulart the goal was not to underscore the site’s uniqueness but rather to try and unify the built elements and disparate functions into a coherent project, as outlined in the jury report: “The ‘famous’ analysis or historical connection resulting in a position statement is supplanted here by the simple desire to liaise the built elements the vagaries of history have juxtaposed.” 12 The design, more discrete, thus adopts a decidedly urban vocabulary and forges connections based on existing structural elements. A project design document prior to the competition rendering boards reveals the square’s building features carefully modeled around 191

the surrounding buildings. The Saint-Gervais Temple, Marc-Joseph Saugey’s slab building, and existing tree alignment dictate the geometry and dimensions of the future square. The project thus provides visual and physical continuity through a clear reading of space, which is also enhanced by an orthogonal design that produces simple, recognizable forms (as illustrated by the central rectangle). In a similar attempt to harmonize the space, a uniform cement paving embellished with a patterned layout (the hallmark of the famous “Geneva sidewalk”) 13 that covers the entire surface unifies the elements into a coherent urban ensemble and connects the square to the larger network of urban public spaces. This brings us to ansecond aspect of the Atelier’s work: its focus on ground surfacing and building materials in order to structure space.

Materiality in the service of spatial organization

Again in Geneva, the slab pattern of the surfacing—unidirectional in the early project drafts, to accentuate the unifying function—was then aligned perpendicular to the curb in the final rendering to conform to the shape of the perimeter. Changing directions of the pattern allowed the designers to subtly delineate secondary areas: a vehicle path, Rue Vallin (which passes along the forecourt of the temple), and a possible extension of the terrace of the restaurant on the ground floor of the Saugey building.14

13. Typical of Geneva, a rough cement surfacing with faux iron joints perpendicular to the curb, simulating 1 m × 50 cm slabs. For more on this, see Bach, Philippe. “Le trottoir à la genevoise, une AOC qui s’ignore,” Le courrier, August 6, 2011, and Ripoll, David. “Pavé, caillou, ciment. Histoire matérielle du revêtement de sol à Genève,” k+a, Art+architecture en Suisse 3 (2012): 30–36. 14. In the completed project, the terrace space ultimately consisted of a concrete bench of the same color at the center of the square, to more clearly direct bike and delivery vehicle traffic. 15. City of Geneva, Municipal Department of Building and Road Management, Mandat d’études parallèles. Réaménagement des places Longemalle, Pré-l’Evêque, SimonGoulart. Rapport du groupe d’expert, op. cit., p. 23. 16. Intentions stated at the project’s inception, in the designers’ personal notes, undated documents (Atelier Descombes Rampini document archives).

Elsewhere the spatial definition is more pronounced but, once again, stems from deeper reflection on the best way to organize the space and its functions through texture. As a result, the surfacing for the central portion evolved based on the reservations experts expressed regarding the initial choice of a gravel surface (deemed “incompattible with a thoroughfare” 15) during the competition. The designers endeavored to find a material that corresponded to the uses they wished to encourage and finally arrived at what we know today: an exceptionally smooth, stained concrete surface that tango dancers and skaters, among others, greatly enjoy using. The Atelier delights in harmonizing surfacing materials, colors, and designs to give spaces a unique flair—the same type of sensitive approach that was used for Turbinenplatz. In this case, creating a recognizable, coherent ensemble justified the choice of a single surfacing, which would be entirely covered in concrete or gravel (i.e., clear stones, with or without a binding agent). Two large gravel rectangles—again, a simple geometric shape—suggest areas for relaxing, while the remaining surface of blasted concrete serves more as a thoroughfare or space for organized events. A certain minimalism comes through in this vast, “light colored,” “shimmering” expanse; the extreme simplicity of design elements evoking “a change of atmosphere and light environment” 16 are surprising for a public space of this size. By superimposing two approaches—rational for the 192

ground surfacing and random for the added elements—the Atelier succeeds in dividing the square into a series of distinct subspaces while maintaining the unique, linear appearance of the whole. This sensitivity to texture, shape, light, color, and their combined effects is evident in the firm’s rendering boards. Evocative photographs of materials and plant species routinely accompany the project plans to convey the desired atmosphere. This disputably “phenomenological” approach shapes our experience and perception of places by sometimes incorporating the idea of movement. Turbinenplatz is thus designed from a pedestrian standpoint, offering “a view that changes as the eye moves through the square,” 17 thanks to the loose furniture arrangement, the varying density of the birch trees, light reflections of the ground surfacing, and modulated artificial lighting.

Daily life as a design tool

On these same rendering boards, the designers manifest their desire to create a distinctive vision for each place by describing the urban scene. Thus Turbinenplatz will become a place for “everyday activities like reading the newspaper, kissing boys, eating sandwiches, discussing current events, smiling at girls, [or] meeting friends,” as well as “special events like street performances, flea markets, promotional demonstrations [or] free jazz concerts.” 18 For Place Simon-Goulart, the description of the square’s “life” features an additional temporal dimension with details relative to the desired pace: “the morning, noon, and evening, day and night. For the neighborhood or just passing through, because one passes this way often. On the way down to the city center, between classes, after a performance at the Saint-Gervais theater, during Saturday shopping, after school at four o’clock, on the way to Cornavin Station, Saint-Gervais Temple or a party at Faubourg hall. For a drink, a snack or a block party. To wade in the water, eat on the run, discuss the news, or make small talk. At the edge of the medieval town, along the boulevards, a chance for residents and users to take a break from the urban center.” 19

17. Ibid. 18. Atelier Descombes Rampini, Sulzer Escher-Wyss, Conception générale de l’espace public. Projet d’aménagement de la Turbinenplatz, op. cit., p. 5. 19. Atelier Descombes Rampini, Design for Place Simon-Goulart, Competition rendering boards, April 2003.

This narrative dimension, however, seems to go beyond storytelling to convince decision makers of the project’s qualities. A closer look at the architects’ approach reveals its value as a working tool that sustains the design process. Imagining all of the possible uses of a given space enables the design team to better respond to the expectations of future users. Aware of the impossibility of anticipating all the needs and expectations of all users, the designers are careful not to limit the spaces by predetermining specific uses. Instead they aim to designate different places for different activities—active or passive, mobile or static, 193

single or multiple—to avoid conflicts of uses. It is for this reason that they develop scenarios that then materialize into working models, to test different spatial configurations. When working on the layout for Place Simon-Goulart, a friendly meeting around a large “banquet table,” a cat nap on a bench, a chance encounter crossing the square, and more introspective moments were thus staged like a “street ballet” as Jane Jacobs might have described it.20 Sometimes the models become life-size prototypes, and consideration of the user takes on an anthropometric dimension, as illustrated by the street furniture in Turbinenplatz. Originally conceived as large, freely arranged blocks of raw limestone, like an archipelago,21 the wide bench design ultimately evolved into its current form and materiality. The concrete and wooden board variants were abandoned in place of a massive oak beam structure. The platform was then given a back, whose silhouette and position were closely studied by the design team to offer maximum comfort in a variety of positions. With its universal qualities of comfort and human-scale tailoring, this transposable element has in a certain sense become the Atelier’s trademark. We see it in many of the firm’s plans, which are tailored to the context and scale of the specific project in terms of material, size, and orientation.22 Such was the case in Place Simon-Goulart, where the platform on which several pieces of furniture were arranged also became a large, slightly raised piece of “furniture,” with three large benches on either side of the long table. 20. Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities, New York: Random House, 1961. 21. The project designers refer to “islands of desire for sitting or lying down.” Atelier Descombes Rampini, Sulzer Escher-Wyss, Conception générale de l’espace public. Projet d’aménagement de la Turbinenplatz, op. cit., p. 6. 22. In Yverdon, for the concrete Parc Scientifique et Technologique project (2008– 2012), at the Jardins d’Éole—cours du Maroc in Paris (2003–2006), a wooden plank version was the reference for the furniture in Place Simon-Goulart. The shape of the backrest can be found in certain concrete design elements at the Plaine de l’Aire (2001–2015), and in green-tinted concrete in the Coupe Gordon Bennett residential neighborhood in Geneva (2008–2015). 23. Developed jointly with Les Eclairagistes Associés (LEA), a Lyon-based lighting company.

Embracing the ordinary: designing on the fringes of current trends

The initial design intentions for these two squares—now completed and tested—changed little between the conception and their materialization phases. An analysis of archival documents helps bring out a number of developments that strengthened the very first sketches. A genetic reading of the plans above all sheds light on the firm’s priorities and working methods. Some undoubtedly have their origin in the partners’ training years that Bruno Marchand described in the introduction. The idea of ‘transforming” a site with and through projects is undoubtedly rooted in the firm’s design approach and aptly illustrated by the two projects we have just analyzed, through special attention to the historical, spatial, and geographical contexts they have become part of. Other personal interests developed within the agency over the years have shaped its unique approach—an approach that includes, among other things, unfailing attention to ground textures, vegetation, complex plays of artificial lighting,23 and often-rough furniture details designed for a new, highly collective context. The approach 194

also aims to consider a plethora of routine and exceptional urban practices and design the most accommodating spaces possible to encourage a range of uses. Are these three fundamental themes recurrent in their work? They were clearly established for other projects as well, such as the design proposal for Place des Alpes in Geneva (2001). The design intentions in this case, developed in writing versus customary drawings and plans, were also built around its integration into the existing fabric, embracing urban practices and with features and materials that define the site’s future character. To the keen observer, the Atelier’s squares have a recognizable urban and architectural language that lies at the crossroads of contrary values: economy of means and myriad uses; simple regular shapes (rectangles and circles) that attest to the architects’ artistic sensibilities and erratic contextual data; randomness and perfectly controlled drawing. This approach to public spaces, in our view, differs from contemporary Swiss and international works, which often play on fun, formal, and rhetoric aspects, even pushing them to their extreme. Instead, the squares designed and built by Julien Descombes and Marco Rampini “embrace the ordinary”: they are grounded in core values by their goal of myriad collective and individual uses, the lasting expression of their materialization (creating the common), and their apparent simplicity and minimalism, and are integrated into an urban landscape that is valued and conserved.

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Thierry Maeder

An Approach through Milieu

More than anything else, this text should be seen as a proposal, a way of interpreting a body of work seemingly heterogeneous in its focus, scope, and temporality, and no more or less valid than any other. Rather than describe the features and sensitive reality of built projects, we will stay in the realm of the imaginary. This short essay attempts to reveal a working technique and approach to designing projects in their nascent stage based on impressions from my time at the studio, first as part of the conception process and later working on the large collection of iconographic and textual elements found in this book, that synthesize the Atelier’s 15 years of work. Some common threads have emerged from this body of projects that reflect a unified approach to the city and spaces.1 The first is what might be called an attitude of reserve. The spaces the Atelier designs are never imposed on a context, but rather leave a great deal of potential for different options and variations. The project’s practical implementation is based on its milieu—a context or an environment—in the same way that places are anchored as much by uses and an imagined vision as by physical and spatial constraints.

1. In my opinion, the value of the approach of not limiting this book only to projects that have been built lies in these lines of force. 2. Bloch, Ernst. Le principe espérance, vol. I. Paris: Gallimard, 1976. Bloch, Ernst. Le principe espérance, vol. II. Les épures d’un monde meilleur. Paris: Gallimard, 1982. 3. The Greek root of the word literally means “that has no place.”

Architecture tends to propose sweeping agendas by taking over spaces and redefining them. However, the projects presented here exhibit great reserve in their “inhabitation,” playing on the discrepancy between “total utopia” and “concrete utopia” by analogy and by the materials used. Concrete utopia—a concept developed by German philosopher Ernst Bloch 2 —opposes the classic vision of total utopia that stems from the literature, art, political thought, and architecture of the 16th century until the modern era. Whereas total utopia is like a chiliasm whereby a society reconciled with itself will emerge and supplant the current society, concrete utopia is an active, anticipatory force based on dissatisfaction with the world and the belief that something can be done about it. While utopia is, by definition, not transferable to reality,3 concrete utopia (hence an oxymoron) manifests itself gradually, in order to mitigate the world’s incompleteness. Although the very idea of utopia has been criticized for its tendency to be turned into ideology 197

(and even totalitarianism 4), Bloch’s concrete utopia is more of a means to avoid resignation in the face of dissatisfaction than a social project. This meander through the theoretical literature has likewise informed my analysis of this working method. In my opinion, Bloch’s ideology fuels the discussion about architecture and provides an interpretive lens relative to the Atelier’s projects through the concept of “not-yet-being” (noch-nicht-sein), namely the deep conviction that the world is already in possession of all its future potential. In this respect, Descombes and Rampini’s approach these past 15 years can be seen as the operationalization of this concept: striving to improve on what already exists and bringing forth untapped potential. In light of this, their projects are based not on substitution but rather transformation. Something that appears to be missing is, in fact, already there; it is the architect’s job to use his or her subjectivity to reveal it. I will attempt to illustrate this with two projects I had the opportunity to work on at the Atelier, neither of which was built: the first—Place d’Armes in Yverdon-les-Bains—never will be; the second—the public space in the Flon district in Lausanne—will be in the years to come. (see pages 300–307). Place d’Armes in Yverdon-les-Bains is a large, open space—a kind of hinge between two urban systems: on the one hand, the city’s medieval heritage with the old town, the archetype of the culturalist city, within its former walls; on the other hand its modernist tradition, with the train station in the periphery (as is often the case in Switzerland) and land acquired after the Jura water correction (1868– 1891). Once a space for collective activities (strolling, celebrations,5 military parades, etc.), the square was transformed architecturally in the 1960s and converted into a parking lot, the current project being merely an updated version of this space. The site’s history and the associations it feeds into were the premise for the project, well before the overall vision or other creative impulses emerged.

4. On this subject, see the criticisms of the writings of Ernest Bloch and utopian thought more generally: Jonas, Hans. Le principe responsabilité. Paris: Flammarion, 2013; and Broca, Sébastien. Comment réhabiliter l’utopie? Une lecture critique d’Ernst Bloch. Philonsorbonne, 6(6), (2012): 9–21. 5. Note also that at the turn of the 20th century, the square was renamed Place de la Fête before readopting its original name in 1938. 6. In his conceptualization of non-place, Marc Augé, by contrast, defines place as an “identity-base, relational and historical” space: Augé, Marc. Non-lieux: introduction à une anthropologie de la surmodernité. Paris: Seuil, 1992.

Place—in Marc Augé’s sense 6—is considered a constraint to which the designer’s vision must adhere. The approach used here was born through a three-fold imperative (and seemingly contradictory objectives): 1) to restore the site as a representation of the city and its image and as a place where the scenes of daily life play out in the theatrical sense; 2) to ensure the square’s functional role by maintaining the routes between the city and train station; and 3) to guarantee its current and future uses (concerts around the kiosk, the intimate spaces of the Japanese garden, etc.). We therefore had to consider how inhabitants could reinvent uses and appropriations on a redeveloped site already known to them and integrated into their “mental maps.” Rather than anticipate, we attempted to assess the range of the possibilities, foreseeing not only practices but also their heterogeneity without limiting the space’s development based on them alone. 198

As a starting point, the project established a “charter” of different types of uses of public space at the scale of the city, so as to keep the heaviest activities away from Place d’Armes. In other words, the new Place d’Armes would not have defined, designated spaces or “ambiances” (except for a playground), but rather would intentionally provide an opening for possible future uses by leaving room for them to take place (open areas, hidden areas, lawns, paved areas, etc.). Nothing was to contradict the ideas, uses, or images of these spaces and how they were embedded in the minds of passersby. The result was a design whose only arguable flaw is that it was too much of a compromise and did not take a strong enough position. Nevertheless, in my opinion, this stance is highly relevant given the context. Rather than proposing (or imposing) a spatial design,7 this reserved approach sought to improve existing conditions by following the preexisting lines of force.8 In the Flon area, the story differs slightly. While in Yverdon the goal was to rethink an existing project in order to put the site back into its context after a rupture in the 1960s, the goal here was to accompany the site’s evolution. Despite the seemingly disparate natures of the two contexts, both spatially and historically, we can nonetheless see similarities in the reasoning and development. Here the project neither precedes nor follows a change in use, but rather is simply a continuation of the neighborhood’s slow evolution. The area, which is privately owned, was once a freight station. Before being redeveloped in the late 1990s—a transformation that gave it its current commercial and leisure vocation 9—it was a kind of urban wasteland that was gradually taken over by artists, galleries, and festive spaces.

7. One could talk about design in the sense of plans or intentions. 8. Note that the paths crossing the square follow the “lines of desire” that themselves partially intersect the paths of the former Place d’Armes in the early 20th century. As such, the project is merely a continuation that constantly adapts to the conditions of its contemporaneity. 9. Terrin, Jean-Jacques. La ville des créateurs: Berlin, Birmingham, Lausanne, Lyon, Montpellier, Montréal, Nantes. Marseille: Parenthèses, 2012. 10. Use of the term “public spaces” is questionable here as the entire site, including the streets and open spaces, belong to a private company. 11. Terrin, Jean-Jacques. La ville des créateurs: Berlin, Birmingham, Lausanne, Lyon, Montpellier, Montréal, Nantes, op. cit.

A relatively complex, though somewhat classic, stratification thus marks the area’s identity. The goal was to rethink the design of the open spaces,10 and the central esplanade more specifically. The plan design followed the same logic as that used for Place d’Armes: to recognize the different layers and the fact that our project was simply another layer at another moment in time and space. So, rather than adding to the pile, we scaled back the urban decor to mitigate the negative 11 impact of the pileup that was complicating the reading of the urban space. We wanted to dig—almost like an archeological dig—to discover what was underneath it all, using a methodical approach that would not just erase what was “unsatisfactory” but instead improve it. We did this by simplifying spaces materially and emphasizing the empty space which—like at Place d’Armes—allows for a multitude of uses. As such, the project respected the space’s identity and heritage. This is what I mean by reserve; nothing is imposed. Projects are proposed to their site and win them over by speaking the same language and using the same codes. Thus the Atelier’s projects are never imperious, opaque layers superimposed over others. Instead, they maneuver and twist to find their place in a fabric that is both physical and woven of tradition, history, and representations— 199

in short, what makes a place a place. More than telling a story of space, the Atelier’s projects first and foremost tell a story of urbanity, of places that existed and continue to exist through them. Bloch’s not-yet-being is an important dimension of the work of Atelier Descombes Rampini as their projects are based on (and forge themselves on) a preexisting substratum. Rather than replacing this substratum, they simply transform it. While the project aesthetics are always clear, the lines of force that structure the project are intentionally left blurry and translucid. This approach—illustrated here through the example of two public spaces—can be seen in most of the Atelier’s projects, and the narrative of the milieu that is the basis of their work can always be read between the lines.

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Collection of projects (selection)

005 008 014 026 029 035 038 039 040 041 045 048 051 062 063 064 065 070 072 073 082 088 090 093 101 102 111 117 120 129 136 140 151 153 154 161 169 189

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Pont de la Machine Turbinenplatz River Aire Strandbad Biel Vengeron port and beach Place Simon-Goulart Jardins d’Éole Champs-de-Boujean École de Culture Générale Le Rolliet Bear Park Place Nautique and Parc de Saône Master Plan for the Ouest Lausannois district Route de Cossonay Rade de Genève Bypass north of Thun Footbridges in the Bois de Finges Praille-Acacias-Vernets district Escher-Wyss-Platz Plage des Eaux-Vives Esplanade du Palais des Congrès Y-Park Coupe Gordon-Bennett neighborhood Plaine de Plainpalais AggloY Jardins de la Rouvenaz Pfingstweidareal Lausanne-Morges conurbation project Quai Rambaud St. François-Terreaux-Chauderon Neumarktplatz Footbridge over the Rhône Cherpines district Vernets barracks neighborhood Quai des Matériaux Communaux d’Ambilly neighborhood Place d’Armes Esplanade du Flon Dok Zuid

005 Pont de la Machine Geneva, Switzerland Renovation of a 19thcentury metal bridge and construction of a platform on the Rhône Client: City of Geneva | Project: 2000–2006. Realization: 2008–2009 | Other commissioned firms: Civil engineer: T-Ingénierie, Geneva. Lighting: Les Eclairagistes Associés, Lyon. Surveyor: Adrien Küpfer, Geneva. Artist: Ellen Versluis, Geneva | 2000 Wakker prize – City of Geneva Fil du Rhône project (Patrimoine Suisse/Swiss Heritage prize). Distinction “Die Besten 2010,” landscaping category (Hochparterre Prize)

The Pont de la Machine project is part of a bigger overall project called Le Fil du Rhône, which put forwards a series of proposals aimed at the improvement of public spaces in relation to the river at the heart of Geneva. From built-up environment upstream to the banks entirely planted with trees downstream, the space occupied by the river, with its dimensions and the diversity of situations it traverses, represents a major challenge to the improvement of quality of life in the city. The redevelopment of the banks of the Rhône puts this site on an equal par with urban parks: a vast, open public space in the city. The project of the Pont de la Machine aims on the one hand at the complete restoration of one of the rarest surviving examples of 19th-century metal work, making it accessible from the quay promenades to people with reduced mobility; and on the other hand at the realization, echoing the central building, of a vast public esplanade in direct relation to the water of the little harbor. On the upstream edge of this new wooden platform, an intervention by artist Ellen Versluis provides a new perception of the lake’s altimetry, by installing the old apparatus used to control the water level in the lake in a new position.

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008 Turbinenplatz Zurich, Switzerland Development of a square in the heart of the former industrial site of Sulzer Escher-Wyss Client: Sulzer Immobilien, Winterthur | Competition: 2000, 1st prize. Project: 2000–2001. Realisation: 2002–2003 | In collaboration with: Tobias Eugster, architect, Zurich. Les Eclairagistes Associés, Lighting specialists, Lyon | Other commissioned firms: Civil engineer: Flückiger + Bosshard, Zurich. Civil engineer: Passera & M. Pedretti, Zurich. Electrical engineer: Suiselectra Ing., Bâle | Nomination at “Auszeichnung für gute Bauten der Stadt Zurich 2002–2005.” Distinction “Die Besten 2004,” landscaping category (Hochparterre prize)

Located in the heart of the Zurich West industrial area currently being redeveloped, Turbinenplatz is the largest public space there. Its urban design gives it an atmosphere that has made it quite singular. The large size of the square is highlighted by the uniform treatment of the concrete slab that extends up to the facades of the four buildings that border it. The streets that surround the plaza are integrated into its development, thus creating a pedestrian priority zone. A network of gutters collects all the rainwater and conveys it to a large infiltration basin that is highlighted as one of the major elements of the plaza. This drainage system, in addition to its ecological value, forms the underlying structure of the plaza layout. Silver birch groves and oak benches are liberally scattered across the basic structure, creating a variety of densities, situations, and atmospheres. With their white trunks, fine foliage rustling in the breeze, and beautiful silhouettes, the birches populate the Turbinenplatz. The large benches comfortably accommodate one or more people, and the varied angles of their back rests lends them to multiple postures. While leaving the composition open, three large “flowerbeds” planted with a mixture of grasses surround the central portion of the plaza. After nightfall, a play of blue and yellow-tinted lights illuminates Turbinenplatz, creating a nocturnal atmosphere that adds to its uniqueness.

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23

67

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205

51

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81

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6

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71

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NA

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tra s s e

Josefstras

se

Giessereihalle

1 .7 %

A s p h a lt

402.90

1.8%

Haltestelle

1.5%

1.5%

402.75

402.73

402.70 5%

1.0%

402.73

1.5%

5%

1.0%

402.80 2.5%

1.0%

1.0%

1.5% 402.75

2.0%

402.80

402.73

Haltestelle (bei Bedarf)

2.0%

1.5%

1.5%

1.0%

1.0%

402.60

2%

Feld

Kiesfläche

5

6.05

4

402.45

6.05

1.0%

2%

3

6.05

2

402.80

EWZ

1.5%

402.75

402.75

Anlieferung Trottoir

402.70

1.0%

Giessereistrasse

5%

402.80 402.70

1.5%

1.5%

402.80

2.3%

5%

2.5%

2.5%

2.3%

1.5%

Haltestelle (bei Bedarf)

1.5%

7.02

402.88

Trottoir

Anlieferung oder Alle

1

1.5%

Fussweg

Technoparkstr. 1.5%

402.78

Trottoir 402.77

8.06

1.5%

4 0 2 .8 8

Ersatzbau Prüfstand

Schachtofen

402.73

1.0 %

402.73 1.0 %

402.65

1.0 %

402.73 1.0 %

402.75

402.60

402.75

402.45

14 6.05

2.0 %

1.0 %

15

2%

402.73 1.0 %

6.05

1.0 % 2.0%

1.0 %

402.33

2%

1.0 %

1.0 %

402.73

13

6.05

1.0 %

1.0 %

Technopark

12

6.05

11

1.0 %

1.0 %

1.0 %

provisorische Haltestelle (bei Bedarf)

Gehweg

Technoparkstrasse

provisorische Haltestelle (bei Bedarf)

6.05

10

6.05

118.71

9

6.05

8

6.05

Velo & Mofa

7

6.05

6

Versickerungsbecken

6.05

Fest-Anschluss

Vorfahrt

1.5%

1.0 %

1.0 %

Kiesfläche

6.05

16

6.05

Hydrant 1.5%

7.02

1.5 %

17

1.0 %

1.0 %

1.0 %

402.75

1.7 %

18

1.5 %

1.5 %

1.5 %

206

402.80

402.80

1.2 %

Alle

1.5 %

Trottoir

Einfahrtsrampe

5.91

Vorfahrt

Hotels Novotel Ibis / Etap

PLATZGESTALTUNG

GEZ. :

a.t.e.

ORIENT. :

MASST. : 1 / 200 KOTE :

Koordination: ARGE Turbinenplatz Ausstellungsstrasse 112 CH-8005 Zürich

Fussweg

tel +41 1 272 32 11 fax +41 1 272 32 90 [email protected] Architekten: ADR Sarl 4 Rue du Beulet CH-1203 Genève Tel +41 22 338 02 30 Fax +41 22 338 02 31 [email protected]

Architekt: Tobias A. Eugster Ausstellungsstr. 112 CH-8005 ZH

tel +41 1 272 32 11 SULZER-ESCHER WYSS AREAL ZÜRICH WEST

L

5.74

fax +41 1 272 32 90 [email protected]

Bauing.: Flückiger & Bosshard AG Richard-Wagner-Str. 19 CH-8002 GESTALTUNG ERSCHLIESSUNGSSTRASSEN UND TURBINENPLATZ

Trottoir

9.68

Fahrbahn

9.68

Alle

9.68

K

H a rtb e to n

J

Kies

I

Zürich

tel +41 1 201 45319 39 fax POSTFACH +41 1 202 15 07 [email protected] SULZER-ESCHER WYSS AG HARDSTRASSE CH-8023 ZÜRICH

Pedretti AG Badenerstr. 18 CH-8004 Zürich Bauing.: Passera & REF. PLAN : SEW-TP : AT-GR-200

AUSF†HRUNG TURBINENPLATZ tel +41 1 241 04 30 faxDIM. +41 :1 241 06 12030 x 84 cm

PLATZGESTALTUNG

DATUM :

30.11.02

GEZ. : MASST. : 1 / 200 a.t.e. Hochstr. 48 Postfach CH-4002 Basel Elektroing.: Suiselectra Ing. AG ORIENT. :

KOTE :

+/- 0.00 = 402.70

tel +41 61 365 23 51 fax +41 61 365 23 51 [email protected]

Koordination: ARGE Turbinenplatz Ausstellungsstrasse 112 CH-8005 Zürich

Lichtplaner: L.E.A. 8 rue Royale F-69001 Lyon FRANCE

Fussweg

tel +41 1 272 32 11 fax +41 1 272 32 90 [email protected]

tel +33 472 10 62 53 fax +33 4 72 10 62 54 [email protected]

Architekten: ADR Sarl 4 Rue du Beulet CH-1203 Genève

Tel +41 22 338 02 30 Fax +41 22 338 02 31 [email protected]

Trottoir

Architekt: Tobias A. Eugster Ausstellungsstr. 112 CH-8005 ZH

tel +41 1 272 32 11 fax +41 1 272 32 90 [email protected]

Bauing.: Passera & Pedretti AG Badenerstr. 18 CH-8004 Zürich

1.5%

2.3%

Trottoir

Fahrbahn

Alle

tel +41 1 241 04 30 fax +41 1 241 06 30

Elektroing.: Suiselectra Ing. AG Hochstr. 48 Postfach CH-4002 Basel

Giessereistrasse

tel +41 61 365 23 51 fax +41 61 365 23 51 [email protected] Lichtplaner: L.E.A. 8 rue Royale F-69001 Lyon FRANCE tel +33 472 10 62 53 fax +33 4 72 10 62 54 [email protected]

Trottoir

2.3%

2.5%

1.0%

1.5%

402.75

Oberflächen

Anlieferung oder Alle

3.2%

1.5%

1.0%

1.0%

402.75

Giessereistrasse

6

Versiegelte Flächen hell Ortsbeton, Lonzicar, kugelgestrahlt

1.5%

402.88

28

Giessereistrasse

Anlieferung

38

2.5%

1.0%

6

Oberflächen

3.2%

1.0%

1.0%

Versiegelte Flächen antrazit eingefärbter Ortsbeton, kugelgestrahlt

Anlieferung 28

402.88

6 38

Versiegelte Flächen hell Ortsbeton, Lonzicar, kugelgestrahlt

6

Werk- und Kulturzentrum Zürcher Schauspielhaus

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

Versiegelte Flächen antrazit eingefärbter Ortsbeton, kugelgestrahlt Unversiegelte Flächen Rundkies

Werk- und Kulturzentrum Zürcher Schauspielhaus

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

"Felder" Anordnung unterschiedlicher Gräser †Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

Versickerungsbecken Anordnung von Gräsern und Lilien †Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

Erschliessungsstrassen Asphalt und Granitrinnen ˆ niveau

"Felder" Anordnung unterschiedlicher Gräser

Versickerungsbecken Anordnung von Gräsern und Lilien

Erschliessungsstrassen Asphalt und Granitrinnen ˆ niveau

Bäume

Bäume

Turbinenplatz frei angeordnete Birken

Turbinenplatz frei angeordnete Birken

402.88

402.88 1.8%

Unversiegelte Flächen Rundkies

†Z 2 0 /3 0 R O K = + 5 .7 5

1.8%

Erschliessungsstrassen Ost-West-Achsen: Sophora-Alleen Nord-Süd-Achsen: Linden-Alleen bestehende / projektierte bzw. mögliche Standorte

A R0100

A R0100

Erschliessungsstrassen Ost-West-Achsen: Sophora-Alleen Nord-Süd-Achsen: Linden-Alleen bestehende / projektierte bzw. mögliche Standorte

A R0100

A R0100

A R0100

A R0100

A R0100

A R0100

Perimeter Turbinenplatz

Schiffbauhalle

Schiffbau 10 402.85

Trottoir 1.5%

Schiffbau 10

A R0100

Parzellengrenzen

Holzbänke 2 x 4m

A R0100

Poller

A R0100

1.5%

A R0100

Eingänge

Trottoir

Poller

Schiffbaustrasse 1.5%

402.75

1.5%

1.7%

Alle

Eingänge

Alle Trottoir

Schiffbaustrasse

5 m

30 m

1.5%

402.75

Holzbänke 2 x 4m

402.85

Alle

402.80

Schiffbauhalle

N

1.5%

Perimeter Turbinenplatz

Parzellengrenzen

N

H a rtb e to n

Kies

Giessereistrasse

Bauing.: Flückiger & Bosshard AG Richard-Wagner-Str. 19 CH-8002 Zürich

Anlieferung oder Alle tel +41 1 201 45 39 fax +41 1 202 15 07 [email protected]

402.80

Tiefgarage

Tiefgarage

Parkplätze

Parkplätze

1.7%

Alle Trottoir

207

5 m

30 m

+/- 0.00 = 402.70

014 River Aire Geneva, Switzerland Rewilding of a waterway that was canalized in the 19th and 20th centuries, construction of flood protection structures, and development of the Aire promenade and gardens Client: State of Geneva | Competition: 2001, 1st Prize. Project: 2002–2011. Realization: 2006, 2008–2010, 2012–2016 | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva. B + C engineers, Onex. ZS Civil Engineers, Onex. Biotec Applied Biology, Delémont | Distinction “Die Besten 2009,” landscaping category (Hochparterre prize). 2012 Schulthess des Jardins award (Swiss Heritage Prize). Hase in Gold “Die Besten 2015,” landscaping category (Hochpar-terre prize). Distinction SIA Geneva 2016 (Prize of the Geneva section of the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects). Audience Award 2016, Rosa Barba International Landscape Prize, Barcelona. Distinction Regards 2017, SIA (Prize of the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects) See also project 140

The rewilding project for the river Aire provides the framework for a landscape reorganization of the entire Aire plain. Starting from the waterway, new relationships are established, balancing the needs of agricultural production, urban development, and recreational areas on the one hand, with the need to reconstitute extensive natural environments on the other. The project consists of an actual restoration of the territory, since it reconstructs landscapes—ditches, hedges, groves, marshes—that had almost entirely disappeared, but are clearly visible in historical documents. Within the perimeter reserved for natural environments, intensively cultivated open land is replaced by diversified environments allowing the creation of a true ecological corridor that favors the networking of biotopes and the movement of small fauna. One of the main aspects of this project is the security of property and people—managing floods while contributing to the restoration of natural landscape values. It contributes to improving safety through water management and storage measures. The present canal, along with the plantations and promenades that accompany it, form a remarkable ensemble, where distant views of the landscape alternate with others more confined by the woods, which reveal the position of the ancient meanderings of the Aire. The canal, evidence of the effort made by people to manage agricultural land, is the visible support of the proposed changes. The curves of the new river interact with the rectilinear line of the preserved layout of the historical work, which is reinvested as an extension of the space for walking. It is in the central part of the project that the new model can most clearly be seen, which places the new river, the transformed canal, and the Aire promenade in parallel. This ensemble constitutes a “public rural space,” which is part of the system of parks provided for in the Geneva cantonal master plan. To obtain diversity of morphology in the new river bed, a new approach to earthwork was developed in order to fashion the river. After stripping the topsoil, a series of regular trenches were dug to form a diamond-shaped geometric pattern. The dimensions of this pattern were determined by the study of the traces of the old meanders and the conditions of hydraulic flow. The establishment of this “percolation diagram” (passage of a fluid through a nonhomogeneous porous medium) accelerated the erosion process and the shaping of the new waterway without predetermining the exact course.

208

Existing site

Project

209

210

211

212

213

026 Strandbad Biel Nidau, Switzerland Renovation and transformation of the facilities of the Bienne beach after the national exhibition Expo.02 Client: City of Bienne | Competition: 2002, 1st prize. Project: 2002–2003. Realization: 2003–2004 | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva. 4d Landschaftsarchitekten, Bern | Other commissioned firms: Civil engineer: Mantegani & Wysseier, Biel. Artist: Peter Gysi, Burgdorf | Distinction “Die Besten 2004,” landscaping category (Hochparterre prize)

The shores of the lake and their various uses

Originally planned as an urban and landscape project for the whole of the Nidau Peninsula, following the Expo.02 national exhibition at the Bienne site, the intervention finally focused on the development of exterior spaces of the beach built in the 1930s and more particularly those on the shore of the lake. The project is primarily a restitution of the original characteristics of the site. Successive alterations had distorted the beach, and the clear relationship between land and lake. Through this project, the entire line of the shore was redesigned, and the smooth transition from the lawn to the water through the sand was re-established. In place of a mound of flowers, a new concrete arch highlights the scope of the site. Some of the original concrete surfaces were restored, with repairs deliberately left visible. To the west, beyond the harbor pier, the shore had been consolidated by rough rockfill and large trees obstructed the clear view of the lake. The new arrangement give this place a new quality and an opening out toward the expanse of the lake. An embankment consisting of prefabricated concrete slabs is offered to those who wish to lie down upon it, and allows a new ease of access to the lake. At the beach in Bienne, you can swim in the harbor, in the river, and in the lake. The shore offers as many differentiated accesses to the water as it does variety of bathing spots.

The urban structure

214

The project for the development of the Nidau Peninsula

215

216

217

029 Vengeron port and beach Bellevue, PregnyChambésy, Switzerland Development of a marina and beach on the shores of Lake Geneva Client: State of Geneva | Competition: 2002

A lakeside embankment left after the construction of the GenevaLausanne motorway in 1964. Land gained from Lake Geneva. Public land at the edge of the water, bordered on both sides by beautiful private properties. Uses that over time have found a place there. Desires and needs that, attracted by the presence of the water, have been planned. With the aim of completing a development never finalized in the 1960s, that of building the shore of the lake and accommodating its uses, it is a matter of organizing the site with a car park, public park and beach, marina, lake police, and windsurfing club. The view to the south looks out over the bay of Geneva and the Salève, to the north, onto the Great Lake and the Alps. On the Great Lake side, opening onto the expanse of Lake Geneva, a vast lawn planted with trees that slopes steadily down to the shingle beach. On the bay of Geneva side, taking advantage of the shelter offered by the cut of the coast downstream, the port is protected by a jetty that is in line with the design of the upstream coast. Overlooking the harbor, the utility building is home to activities related to the lake. Between the harbor, the park, and the beach, there is a dock-side building for the park amenities of the park, the sailing school, the clubhouse, and a snack bar by the lake. And the Vengeron river, obliged to rejoin the waters of the lake discreetly below, will continue, though not vengefully, to lend its name to this place.

218

219

035 Place Simon-Goulart Geneva, Switzerland Development of a new neighborhood square in downtown Geneva Client: City of Geneva | Competition: 2003, 1st Prize. Project: 2003–2010. Realization: 2008–2013 | In collaboration with: B. Ott & C. Uldry, Civil Engineers, Thônex. Les Eclairagistes Associés, Lighting specialists, Lyon | Other commissioned firms: Surveyor: Christian Haller, Geneva | Distinction of the Flâneur d’Or 2014 (Swiss Mobility Pedestrian Award)

Morning, noon, and evening, night and day, for locals and the numerous people passing through. On your way into the town centre, between lectures, after a show at the Saint-Gervais Theatre, shopping on Saturday, after-school teatime, on your way to Cornavin Station, Saint-Gervais Church, or a party at the Salle du Faubourg community centre. For a drink, a local festival, for a paddle, a quick snack, to discuss current affairs or make small talk. On the edge of town, along the town’s boulevards, an opportunity for inhabitants and other users of the town centre to take a break. Situated in the Saint-Gervais district, one of the oldest in Geneva, Place SimonGoulart is located in the centre of a group of disparate buildings. At the heart of the islet is the square, a large area of dark-grey colored concrete slab, with an hedge along the edge of the boulevard protecting it from a direct view of the traffic. Accompanying this planted strip, a large wooden platform hosts benches and tables— supports for the multiple activities of those using the space. On the square, there is a white precast concrete basin. Around the church of Saint-Gervais, a pale calcareous stone forecourt frees up space around the entrances.

220

221

038 Jardins d’Éole Paris, France Development of a park, named after a Paris train line, on railway wasteland in the 18th arrondissement. Client: City of Paris | Competition: 2003, 1st prize. Project: 2003–2005. Realization: 2005–2007 | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva. Claire and Michel Corajoud, landscapers, Paris. Carmen Perrin, artist, Geneva. Les Eclairagistes Associés, Lighting specialists, Lyon. Stéphane Tonnelat and Yann Renaud, sociologists, Paris | Other commissioned firms: Civil engineer: ECERP, Boulogne-Billancourt. Design office: AEP Normand, Malakoff

Located on the site of a former railway wasteland, the Éole Gardens occupy a 4-hectares plot that extends lengthwise, bounded by the railway lines to the west and by the dense urbanization of the 18th arrondissement to the east. Having awaited redevelopment for many years, the site is a real jewel in a neighborhood where there are few green spaces. Marked by the linearity of the site, the project is organized in longitudinal strata parallel to the paths, which accentuate the geometry of the place and define spaces with various qualities and multiple uses. The requested diversity of the programmatic elements are distributed between the lines, like a partition. The park features a planted esplanade open day and night, a water garden and a gravel garden, a large lawn, tree-lined terraces, playgrounds and sports grounds, shared gardens, snack bars, and meeting spaces. At the side of the wide active railway network, a long brickclad wall—the red screen, work of the artist Carmen Perrin—allows a diagonal glimpse of passing trains and the garden extending between the tracks, at the whim of the plants that grow on the ballast. The footbridge and further along a long wooden dock overlook the railway area and extend the field of vision beyond the rails towards Montmartre and the city.

222

223

224

225

039 Sports and activity area of Champs-de-Boujean Bienne, Switzerland Landscape framework for the whole of the new planning and landscape design for the stadiums of Bienne Client: City of Bienne | Competition: 2003, 1st prize. Project: 2003–2004, 2006, 2010. Realization: 2013–2015 | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva | Other commissioned firms: Stadium architecture: GD architects, Neuchâtel, and GLS Architekten, Bienne

226

227

040 École de Culture Générale Le Rolliet Plan-les-Ouates, Switzerland Project for a secondary school for 850 students with sports hall and auditorium Client: State of Geneva | Competition: 2003 | Other commissioned firms: Civil engineer: B. Ott & C. Uldry, Thônex. Building physics: Sorane, Geneva. Architect: Burckhardt + partner, Carouge See also project 140

The plain of the Aire is framed to the south by the close, massive presence of Mont Salève and to the north by the Bernex hillside, with the crest of the Jura on the horizon. In the expanse of the plain, between the Route de Base and the bank of the River Aire, treelined bypaths provide many connections within the area. Rolliet School, through the location of the buildings and the orientation of its outdoor spaces, participates in this urban structure. Its activities take place deep within the plot, in successive programmatic strata. To the south, facing the Route de Base and easily accessible to the public, an initial building houses the gymnasiums, lecture theatre, and meeting rooms; the sports grounds are adjacent to it. To the north, as a backdrop to the site, a second building houses the school itself. At its heart are large courtyards, as elements of the conviviality of school life. On the ground floor, on a single level, is the collective life of the school: a large reception hall, cafeteria, documentation center, administration, and teachers’ rooms. On the two upper floors, all the classrooms and their associated rooms: ordinary classrooms are at the periphery, while laboratories, workshops, and work areas open on to the inner courtyards. In the center, a large common courtyard is made up of a concrete surface with two large gravel areas. It is planted and furnished with large wooden benches. The buildings are low rise and fit with the nearby villa zone so as to preserve the open views over the landscape for the buildings that will populate the environs in the future.

228

229

041 Bear Park Bern, Switzerland Project of a bear park on the banks of the river Aare and an exhibition space in the former bear pit Client: City of Bern | Competition: 2003 | Other commissioned firms: Urban planner: Prof. Bernhard Klein, Weimar. Museography: Nicolas Crispini, Collex-Bossy and Pierre Baumgart, Geneva

Bern and bears go back a long way, indeed the former owes its name and its flag to the latter. To honor this link, since the 19th century, the city has housed some specimens in a pit on the banks of the Aare. At the turn of the milliennium, the town became aware of the animals’ poor living conditions and decided to build a park, instead of the pit, in order to better accommodate them. Take the bears out of the pit and give them a vast park on the slope between the Aare and the Grosser Muristalden, an avenue that runs along and above it. This first decision offers an opportunity to think of new arrangements for bears, but also for people and for the city: the redevelopment of the old pit; the relationship between the upper part, the city, and the lower, the river; the use of the bank of the Aare; the face-to-face with the city of Bern. The central location of the bear park transforms the present meadow into a meeting with the city, which has constructed by a succession of terraces connected by ramps its descent to the water’s edge, and the forest, which extends into the bear park with a beech grove, the natural habitat of plantigrades. In the Muristalden meadow transformed into a bear park, there are several plateaus. Down below, by the water, the “bear beaches” give them access to the river. Midway up the slope, in front of the bear caves, their “private gardens” open up. Perched at the top, a belvedere offers visitors a view back toward the city. Paths have been created around the new bear park, which, through the interpretation and articulation of the model found on the slopes of the old town of Bern (terraces, slopes, Stägeli, winding paths) offer different points for observing the bears, and fashion multiple links with existing walks, the banks of the Aare, and outskirts of adjacent towns. The pit and bear house have been transformed into a venue for exhibitions about bears. They become the main entrance to the tourist trail leading to the new bear park.

230

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045 Place Nautique and Parc de Saône Lyon, France Development of the quays of the Saône and the public areas of the new district of Lyon Confluence Client: SPL Lyon Confluence | Competition: 2004, 1st prize. Project: 2004–2006, 2006. Realization: 2007– 2010, 2008–2015 | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva | Other commissioned firms: Technical studies office: Place Nautique: Korell, Tassin-la-Demi-Lune. Saône Park: Cap Vert ingénierie, Lyon See also project 117

The development of Place Nautique and the Parc de Saône is part of the urban project of Lyon Confluence, aiming at the development of a high-density contemporary city center and a coherent set of vegetal structures and public spaces at the southern end of the Perrache district, hitherto essentially dedicated to industry. The commitment made for Place Nautique consists of a “project of the soil,” a transposition of this dialectic of the landscape and the city. It is literally on the ground that the rhythmic progression that establishes the vegetal structures and the public spaces is taken up, from the quays of the Saône, the project seeking the development of a true “geographical layout.” This logic, the weaving of the city between the two rivers, which can be read in the overall plan, is thus replayed on a scale of the square, in turn underlining coincidences and differences, taking advantage of all situations reinforcing or escaping the rule, of all “accidents” and “complicity.” This is to be found in those parts of Place Nautique that are outside the general orientation of the plan: access to the dock and the south quay; but also when, along the north quay, the geometries are superimposed and subside. In all situations, we have sought to make the relationships between “here and elsewhere” apparent. Between these quays of the city around the dock and the force of the waters and the landscape called upon by the project. In search of the renewal of an awareness of the site, by a series of “shocks,” sources of a rediscovered emotion. Place Nautique will be added to the series of major public spaces in Lyon, recalling the waters of the Saône in the heart of the new urban extension. The general plan organizes the exchanges between the promenade along the river and the city. Around Place Nautique these relations lead to series of parallel quays at different levels. On both sides of the square, the development of the Parc de Saône fully acknowledges the river’s role in the Lyon landscape. It is from its large body of water that the vegetation infiltrates the city in the form of a park with multiple ramifications. Tree-lined paths, meadows, and gardens attract nature to the heart of the new islets, the buildings of which open in return onto the great landscape of Les Balmes. Thus, a geography of origin and the new urban growth are recognized and united. If the landing stage of the Parc de Saône, with its new layout, dominates an inaccessible Saône, the three new aquatic gardens encourage direct contact with water. These new plans form a mirroring necklace round the neck of the new constructions. The geometry of the town slides in tiers to the water, while on the opposite bank, broad wooded meadows recall the natural banks of the Saône. The ensemble offers a unique new public space that combines the pleasures of a nearby urban life with the sensuality of a new relationship with the natural elements.

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048 Master Plan for the Ouest Lausannois district Switzerland Master plan for soft mobility and public spaces throughout the territory of eight municipalities in west Lausanne. Client: Municipalities of the Ouest Lausannois district, City of Lausanne, State of Vaud | Urban planning study: 2004–2005 | In collaboration with: Citec, mobility engineers, Geneva. Itinera, archaeologists of the territory, Lausanne See also projects 051 and 111

Our paths lead us. We take these paths to go somewhere. On foot, by bike, to leave here, to go there and thus, step by step, be able to travel the whole of the region: this is indeed the issue at the heart of this study for the Ouest Lausannois district. On the urbanized territory of the eight municipalities of Bussigny-près-Lausanne, Chavannesprès-Renens, Crissier, Ecublens, Lausanne, Prilly, Renens, and SaintSulpice, the study proposes a reflection and a vision concerning the relation of public spaces and the continuity of the cycle routes through this part of town. By their development, the municipalities constituting the Ouest Lausannois form a continuous urban complex in which the administrative boundaries have been absorbed. These delimitations no longer correspond to a daily use of the territory. The latter, a contrasted “diffuse city,” is comprised of microcenters and functional areas that are all generators of displacements spread over a vast area. When we move, we use our own mental representation of our city, which we have built up from the knowledge and practice we have of our environment. To go from one place to another, we go through places we have identified as reference points that mark the paths we take. But these landmarks are part of a sense of communal belonging and constitute the territory of our daily life. There are often several possible routes, and we choose one or another depending on habits or preferences, but also according to the mental representation we have of our environment. The vision of intermunicipal cooperation developed by the creation of a common master plan makes it possible to think in terms of a global vision. Hence, rather than a set of interdependent municipalities, the territory is understood as a whole: as a city composed of different districts. The Ouest Lausannois district has been transformed from village territories crossed by roads converging on Lausanne into a multitude of inhabited districts and places of activity. It forms an urban ensemble spread over a territory of about 20 km2 with, in the near future, more than 70,000 inhabitants and 45,000 jobs. The countryside of yesterday has become a city. For that is what it is, city, urbanity. That is to say, a way of living together, the cohabitation of multiple interests that are often contradictory, sometimes conflicting. The public space is where this confrontation takes place, and its organization is the central challenge of this coexistence. It is from the moment when the function of circulation is no longer dominant that the public space becomes a meeting place and a social time. This involves the domestication of the automotive environment, and then the roads of bygone times become the streets of the city.

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1. Slopes and flats Between slopes and hills, some plains and sloping ledges in a rugged landscape. On the most suitable slopes and sloping ledges, the city has spread. It has developed across this territory by installing apartment buildings and residential zones, industrial and commercial activities, and universities and their campuses between the former village centers. 2. Movement facilities Continuities of travel induced by topography. In the uneven microgeography of this territory, natural ease of movement has opened up for the pedestrian and the cyclist between the hills and valleys. These routes use the continuities of the plains and passages to connect the different ledges. 3. Breaks and Crossings The major breaks in the lines of communication and their crossings. Major rail and motorway infrastructures use the facilities of topography. The coexistence with the city occurs through their crossing—above and below— but crossing at all costs, to somehow absorb these elements of infrastructure into the organization of the Ouest Lausannois district. This goes for its cohesion, too. 4. Rights of way and crossings Monofunctional areas within the Ouest Lausannois district and the restoration of links. Industrial zones, shopping centers, and high schools occupy much of the sloping ledges. By their vast impact, these areas constitute “distensions” of the city. The scale of these entities is often inappropriate for pedestrians and cyclists. Their crossing by soft mobility is one of the challenges of urban continuity in the Ouest Lausannois district.

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5. Limits and centralities What was previously at the communal limits finds itself in the center of the Ouest Lausannois district. Several major elements of the infrastructure and facilities in the city were established on the boundaries of the various municipalities, but today they have become important functional centralities in west Lausanne: the Renens Railway Station, the motorway with the industrial and commercial zone, the universities, and Malley with its conjunction of important public facilities. 6. Landscape qualities and quality of life The built-up areas of west Lausanne are located close to woods, streams, and countryside. The banks of the lake, the mouth of the Venoge, the valley of the Mèbre, the wooded bar of the Sorge, but also the Ecublens, Caudray, and Côte woods, the Renges countryside, and Dorigny Park, to name but a few, are all important entities to highlight both for their landscape and environmental qualities and for the contributions they make to the quality of life in the Ouest Lausannois district.

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051 Route de Cossonay, Ouest Lausannois district, Switzerland Principles of multimodal development of a cantonal road crossing three municipalities in the Ouest Lausannois district. Client: Municipalities of Crissier and Prilly, City of Renens, State of Vaud | Preliminary draft: 2005–2008 | In collaboration with: Citec, mobility engineers, Geneva. Itinera, archaeologists of the territory, Lausanne See also projects 048 and 111

The project defines the principles for the development of Route de Cossonay, formerly Route de France, and its surroundings on the territory of the three municipalities of Crissier, Renens, and Prilly. For the 3.5 kilometers of the section concerned, from east of the motorway access ramp to the center of Prilly in the west, the study lays the foundations for the project of the transformation of this important road traversing west Lausanne into an avenue more integrated into its context. The main objective is therefore to rebalance the layout of this axis between the various users, giving pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport users a quality of public space management that is today absent. Four sectors are identified according to the context, topography and road constraints, for which the type of plantations are defined, the widths of roads and sidewalks, as well as the integration of clean sites for bicycles and public transport. Additionally, though several constructions have been built over the last 15 years, there are still, on both sides of Route de Cossonay, considerable reserves of building land and a real potential for the expansion of west Lausanne, confirming the desire to make this avenue a strong axis for public transport services.

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062 Rade de Genève and new accesses to the lake Geneva, Switzerland Study for the development of new bathing areas on the banks of the Rade de Genève Client: State of Geneva | Urban planning study: 2006 | Other commissioned firms: Civil engineer: edms, Lancy See also project 072

Although the history of the Rade de Genève until the middle of the 20th century is well documented, its recent development has not been thoroughly studied, despite the fact that it has undergone major transformations. The port facilities have changed with the end of the ballet of working boats and the rise of the passion for leisure boating. The practice of bathing has also evolved. The construction of the 1930s baths under the impulse of the hygienist spirit (Bains des Pâquis, Geneva Beach), was followed between 1960 and 1970 by the development of numerous swimming pools linked to urban expansion and the construction of satellite suburbs. There was also, as early as the mid-1960s, an awareness of a rapid deterioration in water quality. “No Swimming” signs appeared around the shores of Lake Geneva. As a result, the important task of preserving water quality by the treatment of waste water in sewage treatment plants commenced. The struggle for the preservation of the Bains des Pâquis and their renovation, completed in the summer of 1995, gave rise to renewed interest in bathing in the lake and relaxing on its shores. It was also in the early 1990s that the Fil du Rhône project was adopted, which provided for the re-appropriation of wharves along the river. This rediscovered attraction to bodies of water in the heart of the city is at the origin of a new overview of the harbor, with the proposal to develop three new large beaches, at Perle du Lac, Quai Wilson, and Quai Gustave-Ador. This project meets the needs for public spaces in a city growing ever more densely populated and the evolution of social practices linked to the use of shores in a relationship of enjoyment to be found in all seasons.

The city’s relationship to water 1. The turning around of the city of Geneva toward the lake in the first half of the 19th century with the real estate operation of the Quai des Bergues on the right bank and the development of the Grand-Quai on the left bank, as well as the construction by cantonal engineer Guillaume-Henri Dufour of the Pont des Bergues and the development of Île Rousseau. 2. The creation of the Rade de Genève with the construction of the Eaux-Vives and Pâquis jetties from the plan for the expansion of Geneva designed by engineer Leopold Blotnizki in 1858, during the demolition of the fortifications. 3. Extension of the development of the harbor with the proposal for three new beaches at Perle du Lac, Quai Wilson, and Quai Gustave-Ador.

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063 Bypass north of Thun Steffisburg, Switzerland Landscape insertion study of the new bypass road north of Thun Client: Municipality of Steffisburg, State of Bern | Competition: 2006–2007. Landscape masterplan: 2008–2010 | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva. mrs partners, mobility engineers, Zurich. Mantegani & Wysseier, civil engineers, Bienne

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064 Footbridges in the Bois de Finges Salgesh, Switzerland Project of two footbridges, one through the Bois de Finges and the other crossing the Rhône Client: State of Valais | Competition: 2006 | In collaboration with: edms, civil engineers, Lancy

The territory of the project presents a succession of landscape sequences: pine forests, ponds, marshes, and rivers. A promenade, linking the left and right banks of the Rhône, traverses the site, with its topography and its riches. On the way, crossing the various places and environments, the bridges react and adapt locally to major landscape events. A footbridge in the pines In the forest of Finges, crossing the woods at the height of the crowns of the scots pines, the footbridge connects two of the hills in the valley. It consists of two steel profiles between which stretches a larch-board floor. Its slender columns of corten steel mingle in their form and color with the trunks of the trees. To the right of the marsh area, placed on the two surviving piers of a former bridge, a platform offers the possibility of a pause for observation. Its structural system consists of a series of larch frames inside which are fixed floors, observation walls, and a cover for shade. A footbridge over the Rhône

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Crossing the open landscape of the alluvial plain of the Rhône, the footbridge draws a straight line between the banks of the river. It is made up of the same steel profiles and larch floor as the footbridge in the Bois de Finges and rests across the zone of the river’s meander on concrete poles of the same gray as the pebbles of the bed of the Rhône. At the crossing of the Russubrunnu, the bridge is taken over by a wire mesh that spans the watercourse with a single support. The structural differentiation of the footbridge supports underlines the change in landscape that the promenade traverses between the two waterways.

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065 Praille-AcaciasVernets District Geneva, Switzerland Development principles and operational strategies to initiate the transformation of an industrial district Client: State of Geneva | Competition: 2006 | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva. Alain Léveillé, planner, Geneva. Sébastien Marot, philosopher, Paris See also project 151

In 1815, during negotiations for the annexation of Geneva to the Swiss Confederacy, Charles Pictet de Rochemont, sent to Vienna as a diplomat, proposed that the borders of Geneva be located on the Jura and Salève ridges. No doubt the agronomist—also owner of the Praille estate—understood the necessity of Geneva’s relationship with its great landscape. Surrounded by mountainous massifs, Geneva has always maintained special relations with its landscape, omnipresent but foreign. It is these relations that are reaffirmed by the project for the transformation of the industrial zone of PrailleAcacias-Vernets, based on the courses of the rivers Aire and Drize, which, coming from the foot of the Salève, have shaped the site. It is mainly on these strong lines that the major public spaces are designed, giving coherence to the new urban form. The foundations of the project are somehow already there and yet still to be reinvented, that is, to be found again. They are first and foremost in the waterways. This project, by repairing the paths of the Aire and the Drize, aims to find, beyond their poetry and the picturesque, the routes of the water, with their climates and their complex ecosystems, teaching us other ways of defining a territory than by the simple distribution of lots, shapes, and uses. Provided it is managed, or even restored, the otherness of the river makes it possible to enrich the orientation of the urban project and to give it a foundation. The project starts from this evidence: that the course of the waterways potentially constitutes a vast reservoir of vanishing points in space and time, richer than those that architecture and town planning could ever invent from their own resources. Without the ambition of posing as water diviners of the landscape, but more simply acting as surveyors of the topographic resources that shaped this particular site of the Praille. The project contributes locally to the weaving of a larger system of parks and walks whose refounding ambition may never have been as well asserted as in Maurice Braillard’s master plan of 1935: a deep city, enriched with its own countryside and more than ever irrigated by the corridors of water that nourish and design its landscape.

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070 Escher-Wyss-Platz Zurich, Switzerland Project of a public art work and a kiosk related to the development of a square Client: City of Zurich | Competition: 2007, 2nd Prize | In collaboration with: Fabrice Gygi, artist, Geneva. Tobias Eugster, architect, Zurich. Ingeni, civil engineers, Carouge

Escher-Wyss-Square and the car park beneath the Hardbrucke Viaduct have been freed up by the construction of a new third tram line. The square has been left with empty space. Cleared from the congestion of cars, the space under the viaduct has regained its great perspective. The strong, massive presence of the posts of the work of art’s structure occupies the space. Through it one can see the bases of the masts of Fabrice Gygi’s sculpture. These three corten steel masts rise 80 m high in the middle of the interlacing ramps accessing the viaduct. They give back to this place, crushed by the presence of the bridge, a visibility from several vantage points in the city. A new kiosk is the only building on the square. There are already numerous bars and restaurants in the buildings that border it. In this two-fold idea of a minimum program and a search for a clear space, the kiosk is placed in a position that leaves the perspective found under the viaduct intact. Like a monolith emerging in the shadow of the overhanging bridge, it borrows its color from the ground and blends into the landscape. It is not just another building: its warm wood and leather interior contrasts with the opaque plasticity of the exterior concrete. The urban furniture is posted at the three access points of the main streets, leaving the visual field free. The existing fountain, work of Annemie Fontana, has been restored and finds its place between the new access stairs to the upper part of the viaduct and the kiosk. Its orange color will always make it a practical meeting point. The background of the picture is there, calm, crossed by people who bring rhythm and colors.

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072 Plage des Eaux-Vives Geneva, Switzerland Development of a new public beach and a port in the Rade de Genève Client: State of Geneva | Project: 2009–2016. Realization: 2017–2019 | In collaboration with: edms, civil engineers, Lancy. Architect: LLJ, Geneva | Other commissioned firms: Geotechnician: Karakas & French, Lancy. Geometer: Adrien Küpfer, Geneva. Environmental engineer: Viridis, Lancy. Materials management engineer: Ecoservices, Carouge. Heating and ventilation engineer: JDR Energie, Confignon. Sanitary engineer: Frédy Margairaz, Geneva. Electrical engineer: Zanetti, Lancy. Mobility engineer: Citec, Geneva See also project 062

Because of its strong presence in the center of the city and the excellent quality of its waters, Lake Geneva is undeniably an essential element of Geneva’s social life. However, since its shores are mainly made up of walls and riprap blocks for the protection of the banks, they offer few bathing places. And it is thousands of bathers, lovers of sun and relaxation who concentrate on the all-too-few public spaces on the shore of the lake. To meet these challenges, the project of a new public beach, on the left bank, is being developed, aligned with the La Grange and Eaux-Vives parks. It offers a large public space in direct contact with the lake shore. The project also includes the construction of a new public port where moorings downstream from the jetty of the water jet and dinghies stored ashore on the wharf have been relocated, and professional fishermen provided with a building that meets current operating standards. The Eaux-Vives beach and port project therefore also declutters the Rade de Genève to the right of the big fountain and the existing docks, from the Jardin Anglais to the Eaux-Vives landing stage. It thus responds to the strong need for public spaces in an increasingly built-up city, as well as to the evolution of social practices linked to the use of the lake shores.

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073 Esplanade du Palais des Congrès Bienne, Switzerland Development of a square and park in the city center of Bienne Client: City of Bienne | Competition: 2007, 2nd prize | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva | edms, civil engineers, Lancy

Located between the Canal de la Suze and the wooded cordon, the esplanade is arranged as a major landscape feature. The planting of large trees along its whole length gives it a uniform vegetal scale and emphasizes the large dimensions of the space. Inside are the park, the square, the mall, and the garden. The whole park is open, without frontiers, and allows a continuous space to be clearly defined and planted freely with tall trees. The very variable density consists of alternating sheltered areas and clearings, shade and light. Its perimeter, consisting of tiers and ramps, articulates the difference in level and offers extensive seating. Covered by a large concrete slab, the surface of which captures the light, the square is a vast open surface that extends the forecourt of the Palais des Congrès. The transition between square and park is accomplished smoothly by a ramp and wide steps. To the north, an avenue planted with tall trees extends the atmosphere and the materiality of the park. This stabilized soil walk is punctuated by benches and is organized around a canal infiltrating rainwater, bordered with terraces and planted with helophytes, or marsh plants. At the back of the Palais des Congrès, a garden where trees planted randomly in a lawn provides a place of relaxation for passersby and users of the neighboring swimming pool.

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082 Y-Parc Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland Principles of water management, landscaping, and public spaces in a technology park Client: Join Ownership of the Science and Technology Park (City of Yverdon-les-Bains, Establishment of insurance against fire and natural elements in the State of Vaud, State of Vaud) | Project: 2008–2010. Realization: 2009–2012 | In collaboration with: Fischer Montavon + associates, urban planners, Yverdonles-Bains | Other commissioned firms: Civil engineer: Perret-Gentil & Rey, Yverdon-les-Bains. Environmental engineer, 1st stage: Biol Conseil, Yverdon-les-Bains. Environmental engineer, 2nd and 3rd stages: RWB, Yverdon-les-Bains | 2014 Flâneur d’Or Distinction (Pedestrian mobility Switzerland award) See also project 093

The Y-Parc is the largest technology park in Switzerland, planned to provide up to 9,000 jobs. The landscaping project has been carried out in advance of the future urban development. It consists of a principle of ”open-skies“ surface water management and the development of public spaces and soft mobility links. The ecological contribution of the project is made possible by the pooling of the green spaces that form the landscape framework of the site. The water harvesting system here becomes a structuring element of the organization of public spaces and mobility. The project consists of a rainwater retention basin that crosses the whole of Y-Parc and constitutes its spine. It is accompanied by a tree-lined promenade with a concrete walkway for pedestrians and cyclists, and a continuous clay-limestone surface with benches and tables. Perpendicular to the retention basin, swales, or low tracts of land, complete the harvesting system and divide the land into building lots. Basin and swales constitute an entity of high ecological value due to their size and landscaping. Also in the context of the project, the crossroad between Avenue des Sciences and Avenue des Découvertes is transformed into a tree-lined square. With a view to the future expansion of the site, an alley of oaks has been planted along an agricultural road going towards the Orbe plain, with a ”pre-greening“ perspective.

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088 Coupe Gordon-Bennett neighborhood Vernier, Switzerland Landscaping and public spaces in a new residential area Client: Implenia Développement, Geneva | Competition: 2008, 1st prize | Project: 2008. Realization: 2011–2013 | Other commissioned firms: Civil engineer: Implenia Entreprise Générale, Onex

The new Coupe Gordon-Bennett neighborhood, located in the town of Vernier on the outskirts of Geneva, is aligned with the river Nant des Grebattes, which flows into the Rhône. It is located upstream of the canalized part of the stream. Its landscaping extends the greenery coming from the Rhône. A park-like part of the landscaping of the district borders both sides and inserts it into a screen of tall trees. In its northern part, the terrain, the main place of relaxation for the inhabitants, is shaped by a retention basin and an anti-noise mound, thus creating a slight depression on the site. Crossing the center of the neighborhood, an esplanade provides access to the buildings and makes the area open to pedestrian circulation. The ground is paved with gray concrete embellished with benches and tinted concrete planting tubs. With its very urban treatment, this esplanade is the backbone of the area. Its two extremities are also ”windows“ onto the broad landscapes that open out onto the mountains of the Jura and the Salève. Transversally, the spaces between the buildings give access, on the north side from Chemin du Château-Bloch to the central public space of the esplanade; on the south side, to a small square welcoming all generations with tables and benches sheltered by an arbor, a large pool, and games. With its ”park“ side and ”city“ side, the project offers varied atmospheres and environments for inhabitants.

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090 Plaine de Plainpalais Geneva, Switzerland Development of a vast multipurpose public space in the city center of Geneva Client: City of Geneva | Project: 2008–2009. Realization: 2009–2018 | In collaboration with: Carlos Lopez, architect, Geneva. CKNR, civil engineers, Carouge | Other commissioned firms: Skatepark: Constructo, Marseille. Games: Motorsänger, Männedorf. Sand games: Carmen Perrin, artist, Geneva. Electrical engineer: Perrin, Spaeth & Associés, Renens. Sanitary engineer: Frédy Margairaz, Geneva. Lighting (HarryMarc Park): Les Eclairagistes Associés, Lyon | Hase in Gold ”Die Besten 2012,“ landscaping category (Hochparterre prize)

A lozenge of more than 70,000 m2, the Plaine de Plainpalais is a vast open space located in the heart of one of the most built-up cities in Switzerland. A veritable social lung, it has been a real social center for several centuries, a place of constant gatherings of all kinds, and which regularly hosts markets, fairs, and circuses. The versatility of the plain, as well as its facility for assimilating the diversity of uses, were the bases of the project. The essential factor is to leave all those who frequent this place the freedom to appropriate it in their own way. It is about opening, leaving room for everyone, their own imagination, and emotions. The basic idea of the project of development of the plain was to take note of its current status. The green meadow it had been for centuries has long since disappeared. This process accelerated during the second half of the twentieth century, in particular because of the incompatibility of the grassland with the activities that took place on its central part. The plain had gradually become a vacant lot that did not dare assume its unique position in Switzerland of a vast urban esplanade in the very heart of the city. The project affirms this condition. In addition to the change in the ground surfacing, red Beaujolais gorrh, chosen both for its practicability and for its aesthetic qualities, the redevelopment of the Plaine consists of a series of elements supporting its central role in Geneva’s social life. A playground for children, a skate park, petanque pitches, and new snack bars with pergolas, as well as street furniture make the site more enjoyable, while transverse connections are provided by permanent, solidly built paths. The peripheral mall involves a fundamental rethinking of the whole area, taking into account a number of factors, such as the health of the trees and its occupation by the markets. The reconstruction of a 25-meterwide mall restores its historic value and recognizes the site while offering homogeneous vegetation cover to the users. This complete reconfiguration will offer optimal conditions to the different markets while accentuating its character as a promenade.

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093 AggloY Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland Soft transport and landscape of the 2007 Yverdon conurbation Project (1st generation) Client: Bureau d’agglomération aggloY | Urban planning study: 2008–2009 | In collaboration with: Fischer Montavon + associates, urban planners, Yverdon-les-Bains. mrs partners, mobility engineers, Zurich See also project 082

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101 Jardins de la Rouvenaz Montreux, Switzerland Project for the development of wharves and a tree-lined park on the shores of Lake Geneva Client: City of Montreux | Competition: 2010, 2nd prize | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva. mrs partners, mobility engineers, Zurich

The urban structure of Montreux rests on different strata superimposed on a hillside and along the line of the lake. The Rouvenaz Gardens are located at a pivotal point where these strata are brought closer, in the hollow of a cove. The project recovers a major point of contact between the city and the lake. It does so by restoring the historic horizontal foundation of the place. It is on this original topography that two gardens are re-proposed, characterized by an abundant plantation of umbrella pines on a stabilized soil, and differentiated in their uses. The Rouvenaz Gardens, more active, act as a central link between the city and the lake, while the Miles Davis Garden is more private, protected on the street side by the difference in levels. The relationship between these new spaces for gathering and relaxing and their surroundings are clearly articulated by entrances and marked by the treatment of materials. The bandstand has been maintained in its current position and the relationship with the esplanade of the covered market changed. On the city side, the sidewalk widens along the buildings where the project proposes to relocate the canvas shelters that once characterized this facade on Lake Geneva. On the lake side, the promenade is reinforced by a wide wooden platform, from which two large steps lead to the water.

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102 Pfingstweidareal Zurich, Switzerland Park and primary school development project in the changing district of Zurich-West Client: City of Zurich | Competition: 2010, 5th prize | In collaboration with: Tobias Eugster, architect, Zurich

Zurich is developing to the west, on its former industrial margins. To respond to this influx of residents, the Pfingstweidareal, previously occupied by family gardens, is being transformed into a large park located on the original topography of the alluvial plain. It embraces the elevation of the neighboring land, which defines its contours and forms a hollow territory. Extending the length of the site is the common meadow. A great green carpet for the neighborhood to play on, it offers freedom of movement, uses, and views over the horizons of the city. Surrounded by trees, it maintains the opening towards the distant panorama of the hills to the south. In the vicinity, orientations, programs, and topography define the identity of the four sides of the park. A garden, constituted by the harvesting of all the plants of the old family gardens, offers a living collection, a shared wealth, a botanical experience. A playground between the school and the park complements children’s areas surrounded by small trees. A large support wall is oriented towards the sun, at the foot of which the fold forms a bench, while ramps and stairs slip between its lines. A terrace linked to the Gleisbogen trail, generously planted in the gravel soil, offers views over the whole park.

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111 Lausanne-Morges conurbation project, PALM 2012 Vaud, Switzerland Urbanization and landscape components of the Lausanne-Morges conurbation project 2012 (2nd generation) Clients: State of Vaud, Lausanne Region, Region Morges | Urban planning study: 2011–2012 | In collaboration with: Fischer Montavon + associates, urban planners, Yverdon-les-Bains. Citec, mobility engineers, Geneva. CSD, environmental engineers, Lausanne See also projects 048 and 051

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117 Quai Rambaud Lyon, France Development of a promenade on the left bank of the Saône Client: SPL Lyon Confluence | Competition: 2011. Project: 2011–2013. Realization: 2013–2018 | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva | Other commissioned firms: Lighting specialists: Les Eclairagistes Associés, Lyon. Technical consulting firm: Cap Vert ingénierie, Lyon See also project 045

This project on the banks of the Saône, which includes the Quai Rambaud, underlines the foundations of the city and returns the city’s gaze to the space of its origins. This radical gesture constitutes a true refounding of the city, a displacement of its centrality, which is brought back towards the Saône. The Quai Rambaud is a pivotal area: the proposed new layout organizes the architecture at the end of the new urban path along the Saône River and its relation with the open public spaces of the Confluence. The development of a route as close as possible to the waters of the Saône and the marking of this continuity by a series of openings, thresholds to the upper city, is an opportunity to develop all the locations created by a project strategy that aims at the spatial redefinition of places and the strengthening of their social potentialities. By intervening on the different levels of quays, the project allows a fine articulation of the relationship of the districts with the river bank. On the upper quay, is a planted mall, renewed and landscaped, in which will be inserted a series of neighborhood amenities such as a snack bar, boules pitches, shared gardens, and street furniture. At the level of the Saône is a low quay, the new soil of which stretches the plastic qualities of the material used downstream for the park, and which, by the broken geometry of the planted terraces, offers a new walk to the people of Lyon.

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120 St. François-TerreauxChauderon Lausanne, Switzerland Urban planning in connection with a strong public transport route through the city center Client: City of Lausanne, Transports Lausannois | Project: 2011–2013. Realization: to come | In collaboration with: ZS, civil engineers, Onex | Other commissioned firms: Surveyors: B+C, Lausanne. Electricity: Dumont-Schneider, Plan-les-Ouates See also project 111

The urban framework of the Lausanne-Morges conurbation is consolidated by the construction of a network of strong public transport axes. Between the Place St-François and Place Chauderon motorized traffic is removed and three new Bus Rapid Transits (BRT) will cross the city center of Lausanne. The realization of these new lines is also the opportunity to rebal-ance the development of public space in favor of soft, pedestrian, and cycling modes of transport, as well as to regain an urban quality that has deteriorated over the years in favor of the automobile. With the augmentation of public transport services comes the strengthening of the interface status of St-François, Bel-Air, and Chauderon squares, with the consequent increase in the number of pedestrians passing through them each day in all direction that this implies. In the arbitration of the interests of each mode of mobility, an optimization of the use of the pavement was sought in order to give pedestrians as generous a space as possible. Particular attention has been paid to ensuring that the proposed developments facilitate the usual paths through the city and thus minimize the impact of these new bus routes. The project improves the accessibility and quality of the downtown public space so that it remains a pleasant and lively place in the heart of the city.

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129 Neumarktplatz Bienne, Switzerland Development of the market square in the Bienne city center Client: City of Bienne | Competition: 2012 | In collaboration with: GLS Architekten, Bienne

The Neumarktplatz, formerly a cattle market on the outskirts of the medieval town and now completely absorbed into the fabric of the city, has evolved into a large parking lot that no longer accommodates events in the life of the city. The project for the rehabilitation of this space is part of the orthogonal grid of 19th-century neighborhoods that extend into the plain at the foot of the old town. A new tree-planted volume and new paving clearly defines the space and the relationship that it establishes with its surroundings. The layout proposed for this new square is based on a restrained and deliberately calm attitude to accommodate the life that comes to settle there. On a daily basis, with the pattern of trees carefully calculated to facilitate fluidity of movement through it, this new square constitutes a breathing space when crossing between the old town and the commercial district of the lower town. With its long benches, wooden tables, and with the shade it offers, this space is a peaceful place where one can settle down for a break or for a meeting. Occasionally, with its generous empty space in the centre, this new square will continue to be the scene of events and gatherings, a meeting place that marks the passing of the year through its local life.

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136 Footbridge over the Rhône Vernier and Onex, Switzerland Project of a new footbridge suspended above the Rhône Client: Cities of Vernier and Onex, Industrial Services of Geneva | Competition: 2012, 1st prize. Project: 2013. Realization: 2018–2019 | In collaboration with: Ingeni, civil engineers, Carouge. Rampini Construction, civil engineering company, Vernier. Zwalen & Mayr, structural steel company, Aigle. Freyssinet, carrier cable company, Moudon | Other commissioned firms: Geometer: Adrien Küpfer, Geneva. Geotechnical engineer: Géotechnique Appliquée Deriaz, Lancy. Environmental engineer: Viridis, Lancy. Security engineer: Ecoservices, Carouge

The project of a footbridge over the Rhône between Vernier and Onex, traversing a highly protected natural landscape, meets the requirements of creating a new pedestrian link between the two banks of the river while minimizing visual and environmental impact. In order to better integrate the work with its immediate environment and to establish a dialogue with the qualities of a site constituted of heavily wooded banks and an extensive view over the course of the Rhône, the project consists of a straight line that in a single span connects the two banks without any piles driven into the river bed. The height of the structure, reduced to a minimum, and the projected construction mode ensure great transparency of the whole and allow the work to be integrated discreetly into the landscape of the banks of the Rhône. The structural principles are aimed at minimizing the size of a structure that must ensure the passage of pedestrians above and major technical conduits below. Four suspension cables constitute the main load-bearers, their multichannel geometry carrying the whole vertical load of the project. They are anchored and tensioned from the two abutments anchored at each end and have three intermediate support deviations above inclined props, which allow the central span to be limited to a hundred meters. The geometries of the abutments and foundations of the piers are carefully designed in order to reduce the parts of structures projecting above the ground as much as possible, allowing a partial covering of topsoil and a natural connection to the topography of the ground. In addition, the clearance under the structure between the abutments and the banks is generous. This guarantees uninterrupted passage along the banks for terrestrial fauna and the pedestrian paths on the left bank. The absence of piles in the Rhône avoids any impact on the aquatic environment as well as any alteration of the hydraulic capacity of the river and consequently any possibility of destabilization of the bed and banks either side of the structure. No constraints are imposed on navigation. The complete linearity of the bridge’s profile from abutment to abutment, as well as the longitudinal slope of the structure being reduced to what is strictly necessary, ensures an easy path from one bank to the other for pedestrians and cyclists. The low static height of the structure and the absence of elements exceeding the height of the guardrail offer the user an uninterrupted view of the course of the Rhône.

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140 Cherpines district Plan-les-Ouates and Confignon, Switzerland Urban project management for the design of a new district and establishment of localized district plans. Clients: Municipalities of Plan-les-Ouates and Confignon, State of Geneva | Urban management project (MOEU): 2012–2015. Establishment of localized district plans (PLQ): 2015–ongoing | In collaboration with: Urbaplan, urban planners, Geneva. Civil engineer: Edms, Lancy (MOEU). Mobility engineer: RGR, Geneva (MOEU) | Other commissioned firms: Mobility engineer: Citec, Geneva (PLQ). Economist: Créateurs Immobiliers, Carouge. Energy: Amstein + Walther, Geneva (PLQ). Environmental engineer: Viridis, Geneva (PLQ). Programming: iConsulting, Lausanne (MOEU). Agronomy: Acade, Geneva (MOEU). Surveyor: Adrien Küpfer, Geneva (MOEU) See also projects 014 and 040

The Cherpines project is part of the Grands Projets Prioritaires (Major Priority Projects) of the canton of Geneva, which define areas of urban renewal and extension. In the Aire plain at Les Cherpines, the guide plan sets out a few simple principles of urban and landscape composition for the construction of a new district of more than 3,500 homes and 2,500 jobs, extending over 58 hectares of farmland. It defines the structural elements for the district while leaving a large margin for maneuver for the further development of architectural projects. Its design is structured by fine work on different levels. That of the territory first, with the landscape structure of the district founded on the existing framework of green, agricultural, and natural areas. The district thus forms a close relationship with the watercourse of the Aire that borders the site to the north and the hydrographic system that extends into the public spaces inside the district. The scale of the site, where the layout of the public spaces offers views of the great landscape, puts it in relation with the streets and squares of the district. Finally, on the scale of the built-up islands and the extension of housing, the modeling of the ground ensures the transition between private, collective, and public spaces, offering diversified spaces. An integrated approach to water and land management, ground floor programming, and entry location allows for a gradation of public and private atmospheres. The guide plan proposes a division of the urban parts into four or five islands, allowing a great diversity of built forms. This division offers a hierarchy of spaces, from the most private to the most public, and an adjustment of future projects to the geometry of the fabric of the parcels of land. Finally, the plan sets out the rules for alignment, closure or opening of the built fronts, heights, and location of corners, making it possible to clearly define the public space of streets, squares, small squares, parks, and gardens.

Urban Structure The orthogonal layout of the agricultural plain determines the dimensions of the urban units and the general structure of the district. From the Aire River, ramifications are located on transversal streets and ensure a strong vegetal presence and open water management.

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151 Vernets barracks neighborhood Geneva, Switzerland Project of a district of 1,500 housing units in the city center Client: State of Geneva; Ensemble Group, Geneva | Competition: 2013, 1st prize. Project: 2015–2018. Realization: to come | In collaboration with: Fruehauf, Henry & Viladoms, architects, Lausanne See also project 065

The Vernets Operation is one of the first stones of the urban project Praille-Acacias-Vernets (PAV). With this project, the city center crosses the tumultuous river of the Arve and comes to inhabit the opposite bank, hitherto devoted to sport and productive infrastructure. In order to be part of the planned transformation of urban expansion in the vast territory of the PAV, the project for the development of the former Vernets barracks seeks an appropriate scale that can on the one hand correspond to the new domestic destiny of this part of town and, on the other, cohabit with the still active surrounding large industrial buildings. That is to say, the aim has been to preserve certain specific features that make up the present quality of the place, while also finding qualities for its future purpose. Moreover, due to its size and configuration, this future housing project is also part of the Geneva tradition of large rental housing projects. The general organization of the site is determined by the layout of two blocks of housing oriented according to the main elements of the site: the Arve for one and the Route des Acacias for the other. This arrangement is completed to the southwest by a business incubator and on the Arve side, by a high-rise apartment block, where the shadow cast by such a building is not detrimental. A school is inserted between existing buildings and new ones. The urban framework of the site is laid down by a small number of elements. It clearly defines the street fronts and generates a large central public space that crosses the site previously closed for secret defense reasons. Beyond Rue François-Dussaud, this new openness connects the banks of the Arve with the future development of the district to the south. In contrast and complementary to this fluid public space between the buildings, the large courtyards of the residential islands are treated as tree-filled parks, quiet and verdant interiors at the disposition of the future inhabitants. All entrances to the buildings are accessible from the courtyards and are connected with a secondary network of paths that creates a more refined and intimate access.

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153 Quai des Matériaux Brussels, Belgium Development of the harbor quays of the Charleroi-Willebroeck Canal into a public space in the Brussels city center Client: Service Public Fédéral Mobilité et Transport, Beliris | Competition: 2013, 1st Prize. Project: 2014– ongoing. Realization: to come | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva. Technum, consulting engineers, Brussels | Other commissioned firms: Architect: MS-A, Brussels. Lighting specialists: Les Eclairagistes Associés, Lyon. Games for children: Carve, Amsterdam. Accompaniment: Kind & Samenleving, Brussels. Accompaniment: Transit Town, Brussels

The central issue of the redevelopment project at the Quai des Matériaux is the revitalized relationship between the city and water, and between the city and its canal network. Modifications that are specifically adapted, unique and that have a major, decisive impact on the image of the whole city and on the perception we have of it. Like a new view of Brussels: other possible practices, other relationships, other hopes. The new architectural arrangements open a newly discovered, creative, shared space in the heart of the capital. This new organization of the quay area opens towards the water of the canal, emphasizing the presence of the waterway as the origin of the site and linking with the territories of the agglomeration. Along the banks, a balcony over the water overhangs new low wooden quays alongside the water. The whole set-up accentuates the proximity of the water and its potential festive uses. This is undoubtedly one of the major appeals of the site: a renewed contact between the city and its waterways. Set back, facing the city, the new large platform is organized in distinct areas aligned with the Avenue du Port. At the height of the bridge, a proposal with a very strong potential for play, which has been named Topographie. All generations, brought together and mixed, can gather there, actors or spectators. The oldest remember and say to themselves that life is worth living. The littlest look, learn, and wait impatiently for their turn, trying on the margins to imitate the bigger ones. The latter are proud of their skills and everywhere the intensity of life explodes. Topographie becomes a plastic receptacle that encourages the invention of constantly changing choreographies that are freely seen in the center of the city. At the other end, a second area proposes a whole series of games. A part of the plan, where one is more active, spontaneous, impulsive, is thus associated with a calmer area, where around a table or in a workshop concerns, projects, and hopes of a better life can be approached, discussed, and tested. Between these two ends, along the avenue, a new garden area will be established. It is the quietest part of the new quay, designed to host various services and amenities. The space is shaded by freely arranged trees and is articulated, subdivided into secondary areas—kinds of rooms in the open air—by low-rise plants and flower beds. It is also where you find playgrounds for the little ones and the boules pitch. A snack-bar-kiosk is part of the garden’s amenities. The various features described above form a sort of periphery to the esplanade of the new quay, the center of which remains empty. A potential vacuum, available for all the festivals, markets, shows, readings, balls, etc. A space where one knows there will often be something happening. A vacuum like an expectation. But also like a space that accommodates the overflow of peripheral activities, which can in turn, occasionally, spread over the whole space.

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154 Communaux d’Ambilly neighborhood Thônex, Switzerland Principles of urban planning and design of public spaces for a part of the new neighborhood of Communaux d’Ambilly Client: State of Geneva, Municipality of Thônex, C2I-Batima | Competition: 2013, 1st Prize. Project: 2014–2017. Realization: to come | In collaboration with: Urbaplan, city planners, Geneva. Charles Pictet, architect, Geneva | Other commissioned firms: Civil engineer: CERA, Geneva. Environmental engineer: Viridis, Lancy. Consulting engineer: Amstein + Walthert, Geneva. Engineer: bcph, Geneva

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161 Place d’Armes Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland Development of the old place d’Armes, which has become a parking lot, into an urban park Client: City of Yverdon-les-Bains | Competition: 2014 | In collaboration with: Les Eclairagistes Associés, Lighting, Lyon. mrs partners, mobility engineers, Zurich. Luca Pattaroni, sociologist, Geneva

Between the lively but somewhat introverted historic city and the train station, where every day more and more people arrive from the whole region and even farther afield, the Place d’Armes, once a place of defense and then an amenity before being cut off for automotive convenience, represents a real development challenge. There is immense potential; it is lucky, even, that this place, which has already been the subject of multiple plans, remains to this day, a great void in the heart of the conurbation of Yverdon, and, once freed from the crowding of cars by the creation of the underground car park, can be given a new vocation. With the growth of Yverdonles-Bains—the population of which has tripled in a century—the redevelopment of the Place d’Armes gives us the opportunity to propose, in the heart of the city, a large public garden where it would be good to gather, rest, or simply stroll. Moreover, it is clear that its location between the station and city center also makes it a place that is frequently crossed every day. But beyond good management of the flows and functional imperatives that we have to ensure, it is in regards to its qualities of use, appropriation, and atmosphere that the development of the Place d’Armes must respond. It is therefore a question of designing a place that integrates the greatest diversity of uses, temporalities, and scales, by posing at the heart of reflections the question of the common of the public space: common as an element of identity and identification, but also common as a setting that accommodates the multiplicity of scenes of everyday life. By affirming the “garden“ dimension of the Place d’Armes, we symbolically and practically reinforce the idea that the present challenge in the development of Yverdon-les-Bains is its ability to combine its growing urbanization and the preservation of its beautiful natural setting. Thus, the Place d’Armes becomes the cornerstone of the city, a visiting card expressing its identity, hospitality, and quality of life. The “Gardens of Yverdon“ project affirms the importance of a place conceived as a large urban garden—midway between park and square—which brings inhabitants together and leads them to coexist harmoniously. The plasticity of the project and its affirmation of several central principles are intended to guarantee the continuation of a truly participatory process and, lastly, a hospitable setting for the diversity of its rhythms and uses. We see it live through moments of joyful sharing and comforting solitude, gestures of attention to nature that awakens, shines or falls asleep, of exchanges and finds, encounters and memories, dramas, merry-go-round rides, animated or intimate discussions, and celebrations.

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169 Esplanade du Flon, Lausanne, Switzerland Project for the development of the public spaces and the central esplanade of the Flon industrial district Client: Mobimo SA, Lausanne | Competition: 2015, 1st prize. General project of public spaces: Master plan: 2016–2017. Flon Esplanade: Project: 2016. Realization: 2017 | In collaboration with: Les Eclairagistes Associés, Lighting specialists, Lyon | Other commissioned firms: Civil engineer: Perret-Gentil + Rey & Associés, Yverdonles-Bains. Electrical engineer: Betelec, Villars-Ste-Croix. Sanitary engineer: Groupe Technique H2, Ecublens. Surveyor: Lehmann géomètre, Lausanne

The character of the public spaces of the Flon district is given first and foremost by the configuration of the built environment and by the scale of the architecture. Extended on the flat gained by the filling in of the valley of the river Flon in the nineteenth century, this district, with its strictly orthogonal organization, stands out in the rugged topography of Lausanne. And then there are the people, numerous, at all hours of the day and night, quite young (or despite the passing of the years believing they have remained so), who come for various reasons, inevitably diverse. In the streets and alleys of the Flon district, resulting from its former industrial activity, it is no longer merchandise that circulates, but people who walk, pass by, stroll, or meet up there. Since the new neighborhood projects of the 1980s, abandoned after fierce struggles in favor of an attitude of preservation-transformation of the existing, the gradual reappropriation of premises was begun as early as the end of the 1990s. It is in the course of years, and gradual stages of mutation, mixing transformation of existing buildings with new constructions, that the reappropriation of the district has progressed. This renewal has generated a dynamism and atmosphere that have been permanently inscribed in the life of Lausanne, in the heart of the city center; to such an extent that it even seems difficult today to imagine how it could be otherwise. But the adventure does not end there—it is at an important point in its history, with major transformations occuring within the neighborhood and in its surroundings. The Flon and its vitality are a bit like a rich and diverse ecosystem with all the fragilities that maintaining the general equilibrum implies. It is a question of joining the movement in progress with measured proposals that will accompany the general evolution of the neighborhood and the pursuit of its reappropriation. Once the framework and challenges are established, the general conception of the area can be approached with an attitude that seeks to integrate the continuity of the existing by leaning upon some quality current developments, which then form the keystones of the whole. From the old wasteland, it is a new part of the city center that must be thought out and managed, in which the design and treatment of public space will play a major role in the use, life, and atmosphere of this neighborhood.

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189 Dok Zuid Antwerp, Belgium Transformation of a parking lot into a vast urban park in the heart of Antwerp Client: City of Antwerp | Competition: 2015, 1st prize. Study: 2015–2017. Realization: 2019 | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva. Technum, consulting engineers, Brussels | Other commissioned firms: Lighting specialists: Les Eclairagistes Associés, Lyon. Botanist: Erik De Waele

The general organization of the plan is established on the site of the old docks, forming a vast platform. This new major public space, framed by the urban fabric and the alignments of trees, presents very differentiated situations capable of accommodating multiple activities. The design of the paths facilitates the internal relations of the new space, but also connections with the surrounding city. These are the mineral parts of the plan; they provide a necessary resource, but they also contribute to clearly affirming the mark of the old docks. The margins of this space, its existing crown of trees reinforced by new plantations, and the activities on its periphery (cafes, restaurants, shops) constitute an intermediate space, a sort of threshold articulating relationships with the adjacent streets. Some major axes are emphasized: towards the center of the city, the new southern districts; and the remarkable nearby buildings, museums and historic monuments. Shady alleys are both promenades and places for temporary activities. All the equipment and services necessary for this public space, as well as the access to underground car parks are also placed in this crown. The central part is made up of a vast lawn bordered to the west by a large basin, evoking the history of the place, and also serving as infiltration basin for surface water. It is the primary free space, the breathing heart of the plan, the transposition of the old water feature of the docks into a new reality. The northern part consists of a set of gardens, kinds of rooms / lounges: a suite of more intimate spaces, highly differentiated and able to accommodate a variety of activities. The vegetation is also varied: groves, fruit trees, meadows, and flower beds. The variety of ground coverings is adaptable to future uses: children’s games, leisure areas, benches and tables, fountains. The southern part is destined to receive more important events: concerts, film festivals, literary readings, public events, and large festive gatherings. At the end of the park is a large canopy, a sheltered space for performances, orchestras, speakers and, on other occasions, markets and fairs. There is also a public transport station: an interchange for communication between the city and the southern districts.

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Atelier Descombes Rampini

Julien Descombes

Marco Rampini

Architect, graduate of EAUG, FAS, FSAP Born in Geneva in 1963 Lives and works in Geneva

Architect, graduate of the EPFL, FAS, FSAP Born in Lausanne in 1964 Lives and works in Geneva

Julien Descombes was educated in Geneva. After a first introduction to architecture in the summer of 1984 as part of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design’s Career Discovery program, he began his architectural training at the University of Geneva’s School of Architecture (EAUG), from which he graduated in 1990 under Professor Herman Hertzberger.

Marco Rampini was educated in Geneva. After a first introduction to architecture in the summer of 1984 at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design’s Career Discovery program, he continued his training at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), from which he graduated in 1990 under Professor Roger Diener.

An assistant at the University under Professor Bernardo Secchi (1990–1992), his first professional experience was with the Renzo Piano Agency in Genoa (1988–1989) and Herman Hertzberger in Amsterdam (1992–1993). In 1994, he began working as an independent architect in Geneva, and, in 1999, completed his post-graduate studies at the University of Geneva’s Institut of Architecture (IAUG), having followed Georges Descombes’ and Michel Corajoud’s Architecture and Landscape courses. In 2000, he founded Geneva-based Atelier Descombes Rampini with Marco Rampini. The firm’s work focuses on the development of public spaces, landscape architecture, and territorial development. He regularly works as an expert at the Geneva School of Landscape, Engineering, and Architecture (HEPIA), supervising projects and diplomas.

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Rampini began his career at Jean-Jacques Oberson’s architecture studio in Geneva, where he helped create several architecture and urban planning projects. He did his postgraduate studies in Architecture and Landscape at University of Geneva’s Institut of Architecture (IAUG) under Georges Descombes and Michel Corajoud in 1999. In 2000, he founded Geneva-based Atelier Descombes Rampini with Julien Descombes. The firm’s projects center around public spaces, landscape architecture and territorial development. Marco Rampini was a visiting professor at the IAUG in 2004/2005 and 2006 and at the EPFL’s architecture department in 2010, where he led project workshops. He regularly works as an expert at the EPFL and the Geneva School of Landscape, Engineering, and Architecture (HEPIA) in conjunction with student works and diplomas. He was a member of the Commission for the State Fund for Contemporary Art (FCAC) from 2005 to 2010 and the City Planning Commission for the State of Geneva (2010–2014), and is a member of Geneva’s Municipal Fund for Contemporary Art (FMAC) since 2015.

Partners and associates (2017): Antoine Muller, Moriya, Vincent Manzoni, Laura Mechkat, Nicolas Lucchini, Frédéric Perone, Sabine Tholen, Yves Vieuxloup, Pascal Heyraud, Daniela Liengme, Eva Cuche, Nuria Greub-Sallarès, Greg Bussien, Sabine Feuereisen, Renaud Pidoux, Monique Doglia, Grégory Dubois, Somphonsack Phayouphorn, Nelson Lopez, Lionel Dulex, Maren Kühn, Mireille Ripoll Corboud, Itziar Vellido, Benoît Delaunay, Martina Tomsic, Pierre Brossard, Carla Demierre, Anne Prida, Alexia Turlin, Richard Fulop, Lisa Morand, Maxime Gobet, Kim Pittier, Julien Romane, Justine Hugon, Thierry Maeder, Sabrina Neffah Jacquat, Vanessa Lacaille, Marion Vanlauwe, Clément Boitel, Eliott Dujardin, Pierre Szczepski, Yann Bergeot Interns: Aline Juon, Stéphane Wicht, Gilles Berruex, Cécile Manfroi, Benoît Martin, Alexandre Terrier, Florence Cappelle, Francesco Menna, Valeyriane Roux, David Weber, Diane Jurdic, Nicolas Waechter, Rachel Pasquier, Paul Lornet, Cléo Frachebourg, Kevin Goncalvez Luzio, Aureliano Ramella, Thibaut Faciola www.adr-architectes.ch

Prizes and distinctions 2017 SIA Regards 2017 distinction (Prize of the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects) for the rewilding of the River Aire (014) 2016 Public Opinion Prize, Rosa Barba International Landscape Prize, for the rewilding of the River Aire (014) SIA Genève 2016 distinction (Prize of the Geneva section of the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects) for the rewilding of the River Aire (014) 2015 Hase in Gold “Die Besten 2015”, (Hochparterre prize) landscaping category, for the rewilding of the River Aire (014)

Exhibitions 2017 Open Space Connection, Botanical Gardens, Barcelona 2016 Open Space Connection, Orangerie du Spadom, Lausanne 9th International Biennial of Landscape Architecture, Barcelona 2014 Superpositions, la renaturation de l’Aire. Archizoom, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne 2010 Geneva Days of Towns Pavillion. Shanghai World Expo

2014 Flâneur d’or 2014 distinction (Swiss pedestrian mobility award), for the Place SimonGoulart (035)

2009 Grands paysages d’Europe. Galerie Lucy Mackintosh, Lausanne. Curator: Lorette Coen

Flâneur d’or 2014 distinction (Swiss pedestrian mobility award), for Y-Park (082)

Architecture du paysage en Suisse Romande. Geneva’s Haute école du paysage, d’ingénierie, et d’architecture

2012 Hase in Gold “Die Besten 2012”, (Hochparterre prize) landscaping category, for the development of the Plaine de Plainpalais (090)

2008 Grandes paisajes de Europa. Fundacion Cesar Manrique Arrecife, Lanzarote. Curator: Lorette Coen

Schulthess Award for Gardens, for the rewilding of the River Aire (014)

5th International Biennial of Landscape Architecture, Barcelona

2010 “Die Besten 2010” distinction (Hochparterre prize), landscaping category, for the platform of the Pont de la Machine (005)

Korrektes Wasser. Das Gelbe Haus, Flims. Curator: Ariana Pradal

2009 “Die Besten 2009” distinction (Hochparterre prize), landscaping category, for the rewilding of the River Aire (014) 2005 “Auszeichnung für gute Bauten der Stadt Zürich 2002–2005” nomination, for the development of Turbinenplatz (008) 2004 “Die Besten 2004” distinction (Hochparterre prize), landscaping category, for Strandbad Biel (026) and for Turbinenplatz (008) 2000 Wakker Prize (Swiss Heritage), given to the city of Geneva for the Fil du Rhône project (005)

314

2007 Spezifisch, spécifique, specifico. Landschaftarchitektur aus der Schweiz. Architektur Forum, Zurich. Curators: Claudia Moll and Stefan Rotzen Jardins demain. Hôtel de Ville de Paris Constructing the Swiss Landscape. Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge (USA). Curator: Dorothée Imbert 2006 Printemps de l’architecture du paysage (Guided Tours), Lausanne and Geneva 2005 Groundswell: Constructing the Contemporary Landscapes. MOMA, New York 2004 Grands espaces Ville durable. Galerie des terreaux, Lyon. Curator: Ville de Lyon

Publications

Atelier Descombes Rampini Bustos, Xavier, Hohler, Anna, Keller, Monique, and Nicola Regusci. Open Space Connection, Landscape Architecture and Interventions in Public Space – Swiss Arc Lémanique and Barcelona Metropolitan Area. dpr-barcelona, 2016, p. 78.

Honing, Roderick. ”Der Blaue Platz.“ Architectural Guide Zurich 1990–2005. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2005, pp. 86–87. Loschwitz, Gesa and Peter Zöch. Europäische Landschaftsarchitektur – European Landscape Architecture, Ausgewählte Projekte von 2000 bis heute. Munich: Edition Topos, Callwey Verlag, 2005, pp. 86–87.

Coen, Lorette, Girot, Christophe, and Elissa Rosenberg. Grandes Paisajes de Europa. 2009, Fundacion César Manrique, Las Palmas, 2009. (exhibition catalogue, 045 Place Nautique et Parc de Saône, 014 River Aire)

Moll, Claudia. ”Ein neuer Platz für Zürich.“ Garten+Landschaft 4 (2004): 10–12.

Moll, Claudia. ”Redécouverte du lac et des rivières.“ Hochparterre (supplement) 11 (2011): 34–35.

Rosset, Yves. ”Turbinenplatz à Zurich.“ Faces 54 (2004): 24–25.

Fernandez Per, Aurora and Javier Mozas (eds). ”In Common II.“ A+T 26 (2005): 88–93.

Moll, Claudia, Rotzler, Stefan, and André Schmid. Spezifisch, Spécifique, Specifico, Landschaftsarchitektur aus der Schweiz. Architekturforum Zürich, 2007 (008 Turbinenplatz, 014 River Aire, 026 Strandbad Biel)

Vonèche, Anne. ”Turbinenplatz: une nouvelle manière de concevoir l’espace public.“ Anthos 2 (2004): 16–19.

Van der Poel, Cedric. ”Éloge de la simplicité.“ Tracés 10 (2011): 15–18.

Bajc, Katarina, Prominski, Martin, Stimberg, Daniel, Stokman, Antje, Voermanek, Hinnerk, and Susanne Zeller. River. Space. Design. Planning Strategies, Methods and Projects for Urban Rivers, 2nd edition. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2017, pp. 286–289.

005 Pont de la Machine Della Casa, Francesco. ”Un projet d’urbanité au fil du Rhône.“ IAS 12 (2000): 244–250. Descombes, Julien, Lipschutz, Pierre, Muller, Valérie, and Jean Stern. Au fil du Rhône. Fonds municipal de rénovation, Ville de Genève, 1995, p. 40. Descombes, Julien, (interview). ”Le fil du Rhône.“ Rhône Magazine 8 (2016): 8–10. Descombes, Julien. ”Fil du Rhône.“ Werk, Bauen+Wohnen 12 (2001): 49. Gfeller, Philippe. ”Genève au fil du Rhône.“ Anthos 4 (2002): 24–29. Gubler, Jacques. ”Entre lac et fleuve: une barge invite à rêver.“ Tracés 1/2 (2003): 9–12. Simone, Massimo. ”Au fil du temps.“ Chantiers & Rénovation 11–12 (2008): 25–32. 008 Turbinenplatz Andersson, Thorbjörn. ”Ein kritischer Blick auf Landschaftsarchitektur.“ Topos, European Landscape Architecture 49 (2004): 22–32. Bucher, Annemarie. ”Der Turbinenplatz in Zürich ist eine farbige Bühne für Fussgänger, Skater und Ruhesuchende.“ Du – Zeitschrift der Kultur 758 (2005): 62–63. 315

014 Aire River

Besse, Jean-Marc, Coen, Lorette, Descombes, Georges, Kondolf, G. Mathias, Rosenberg, Elissa, Tiberghien, A. Gilles, and Marc Treib. Aire. Zurich: Park Books, 2017, p. 256. Biétry, Léo. ”Des lieux de quiétude et d’inquiétude.“ Viso 4 (2011): 32–38. Coen, Lorette. ”L’Aire, la rivière qui travaille à distance pour la ville.“ Criticat 10 (2012): 104–13. Coen, Lorette, Descombes, Georges, Descombes, Julien, Holzhausen, Klaus, Kondolf, G. Mathias, Rampini, Marco, Rotzler, Stefan, and Christine Wieskotten. Prix Schulthess des Jardins 2012, Groupement Superpositions. Patrimoine Suisse, 2012, p. 48. Cogato-Lanza, Elena. ”Savoirs et techniques du territoire: la leçon de l’Aire.“ Tracés 23 (2002): 6–12. Daghini, Giairo. ”Faire du paysage.“ Faces 50 (2002): 18–29. Delavy, Francis. ”Revitalisation de l’Aire: naissance du projet.“ Collage 4 (2004): 16–17. Denzler, Lukas. ”Vom Naturschutz zum Umbau der Landschaft.“ TECH21 43 (2013): 32–35.

Descombes, Georges, Descombes, Julien, and Marco Rampini. ”Il parco fluviale del l’Aire.“ Paysage 17 (2009): 66–69.

Van der Poel, Cedric. ”Un nouveau square pour Saint-Gervais.“ Tracés 18 (2013): 12–15.

Juel Clemmensen, Thomas. ”The Management of Dissonance in Nature Restoration.“ Journal of Landscape Architecture 2 (2014): 54–63.

Descombes, Georges. ”Parc de la cour du Maroc.“ Anthos 1 (2008): 30–33.

Gheysens, Aline. ”Théorie et pratique des rivières selon Georges Descombes.“ L‘Architecture d’Aujourd’hui 381 (2011): 21–28.

Foster, Jeremy. ”Spectral Denivelations: La Mémoire du Rail and Topographical Excess at the Jardins d’Éole.“ Journal of Landscape Architecture 7 (2012): 68–83.

Groupement Superpositions. ”Renaturation de l’Aire à Genève.“ Anthos 2 (2010): 34–39. Groupement Superpositions. ”Les jeux de l’Aire.“ L’Architecture d’Aujourd’hui 406 (2014): 86–88. Groupement Superpositions, Département du territoire. Renaturation du cours d’eau de l’Aire à Genève: Projet d’ensemble, étapes de réalisation et mise en œuvre de la deuxième étape à l’automne 2007. Département du territoire, Service de renaturation des cours d’eau, 2007, p. 28. Groupement Superpositions, Service de renaturation des cours d’eau. Renaturation du cours d’eau de l’Aire à Genève: Projet d’ensemble, étapes de réalisation et mise en œuvre de la troisième étape au printemps 2012. Département de l’intérieur et de la mobilité, Service de renaturation des cours d’eau, 2011, p. 52. Groupement Superpositions. The River Chronicle. Superpositions, Geneva, 2014, p. 47. Groupement Superpositions. The River Chronicle. Superpositions, Geneva, 2016, p. 55. Hemmerling, Julia. ”Park statt Kanal.“ Hochparterre, Die Besten 2015 12 (2015): 48–53. 026 Strandbad Biel Keller, Martin. ”Strandbad Biel.“ Anthos 3 (2006): 26–29. Tholen, Sabine. ”La plage de Bienne.“ Anthos 3 (2006): 26–29. 035 Place Simon-Goulart Huber, Werner. ”Platz da!“ Hochparterre 10 (2013): 73. Huber, Werner. ”Flâneur d’or 2014, Place Simon-Goulart.“ Hochparterre (Cahier thématique) (2014): 20.

038 Jardins d’Éole

048 Master Plan for the Ouest Lausannois District Widmer Pham, Ariane. ”Le développement de l’Ouest lausannois.“ Anthos 4 (2007): 26–29. 072 Plage des Eaux-Vives Amacher, Robin, Amini, Azin, Boillat, Jean-Louis, and Fadi Hachem. ”Expertise hydraulique d’un projet lacustre.“ Tracés 23/24 (2010): 28–32. Boulmerka, Mounir, Pidoux, Franck, and Marco Rampini (interview). ”Des relations plus intenses avec le lac: le projet de la plage des Eaux-Vives.“ Les cahiers de l’ASPAN 2 (2016): 14–17. Della Casa, Francesco. ”La rade amplifiée.“ Tracés 23/24 (2010): 33–42. Echanove, Mathias and Pattaroni, Luca. ”Fabriquer du commun: une plage pour l’agglomération.“ Tracés 23/24 (2010): 19–23. Frommel, Bénédict. ”La formation de la rade de Genève.“ Tracés 23/24 (2010): 7–10. Lachavanne, Jean-Bernard. ”Un grand lac convalescent.“ Tracés 23/24 (2010): 13–18. Nydegger, Françoise. ”La plage publique des Eaux-Vives fait des ricochets dans la rade.“ Journal des Bains 2 (2010): 8. Wisard, Alexandre. ”Quelle renaturation pour les rives du léman?“ Tracés 23/24 (2010): 24–27. 075 Provisional Bicycle Station ADR. ”Construction d’une vélostation.“ Architecture Suisse 192 (2014): 13–14. 082 Y-Park Aubert, John. ”Les espaces libres dans la planification: un processus créatif“ Les cahiers de l’ASPAN 2 (2009): 7–9. 316

Aubert, John and Marco Rampini. ‘Y-Parc, Yverdon-les-Bains.“ Anthos 4 (2013): 18–21. Huber, Werner. ”Flâneur d’or 2014, Yverdonles-Bains: Y-Parc.“ Hochparterre (Cahier thématique) (2014): 27. 088 Coupe Gordon-Bennett District Rappaz, Pauline. ”Un ensemble homogène dans une zone morcelée.“ Tracés 18 (2013): 17–22. Rappaz, Pauline. ”Promenade fürs Quartier.“ TECH21 43 (2013): 28–31. 090 Plaine de Plainpalais Coen, Lorette. ”Le cœur rouge de Genève.“ Anthos 4 (2014): 20–23. Hoffmeyer, Valérie. ”Die Ebene von Plainpalais in Genf: Rotes Pendant des Hafenbeckens.“ Garten+Landschaft 1 (2015): 26–29. Hoffmeyer, Valérie. ”A Red Counterpart to the Harbour.“ Urban Projects, Squares and Promenades 91 (2015): 50–54. Nussbaumer, Raphaël and Marie-Thérèse Stauffer. ”Die Plaine de Plainpalais in Genf.“ Werk, Bauen + Wohnen 6 (2014): 42–47.

All Projects

001 Mission of Canada Garden, Geneva, Switzerland | 1999–2001 | Client: State of Canada 002 Cormanon-Est Urban Park, Villarssur-Glâne, Switzerland | 1999–2006 | Client: Municipality of Villars-sur-Glâne | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva 003 National Road Operation Center, Bursin, Switzerland | 1999 | Client: State of Vaud 004 Rue de Genève and Place de Graveson, Thônex, Switzerland | 1999–2001 | Clients: Municipality of Thônex, INTERREG II Program 005 Pont de la Machine, Geneva, Switzerland | 2000–2009 | Client: City of Geneva

015 River Aire Pont des Marais—Pont du Centenaire, Geneva, Switzerland | 2001–2006 | Client: State of Geneva | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva | B+C Ingénieurs, Onex | ZS Ingénieurs Civils, Onex | Biotec Biologie Appliquée, Delémont 016 Chemin des Deux-Communes Housing, Thônex, Switzerland | 2001– 2003 | Clients: Municipality of Thônex, various private owners 017 Rampini & Cie Mechanical Workshop, Vernier, Switzerland | 2001–2002 | Client: Rampini & Cie SA 018 Conversion of an individual house, Geneva, Switzerland | 2001 | Client: Private owner

006 Rue de la Corraterie, Geneva, Switzerland | 2000 | Client: City of Geneva

019 Development of work spaces in ADR offices, Geneva, Switzerland | 2001 | Client: Atelier Descombes Rampini SA

007 Rampini & Cie Depots, Vernier, Switzerland | 2000–2004 | Client: Rampini & Cie SA

020 Cormanon-Est Traffic Circle, Villarssur-Glâne, Switzerland | 2001 | Client: Municipality of Villars-sur-Glâne

008 Turbinenplatz, Zurich, Switzerland | 2000–2003 | Client: Sulzer Immobilien, Winterthur | In collaboration with: Tobias Eugster, architect, Zurich | Les Éclairagistes Associés, Lyon

021 Bertigny-Ouest Landscaping, Villarssur-Glâne, Switzerland | 2001–2002 | Client: Municipality of Villars-sur-Glâne | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva

009 Sulzer Escher-Wyss Areal, Zurich, Switzerland | 2000–2003 | Client: Sulzer Immobilien, Winterthur

022 Halles de l’Ile Public Footbridge, Geneva, Switzerland | 2003 | Client: City of Geneva

010 Bords de Seine Park, Paris, France | 2000 | Client: Établissement public pour l’aménagement de la Défense (Public Establishment for the Development of La Défense business district) | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva | Atelier Michel Corajoud, landscaping, Paris | Michel Desvigne, landscaping, Paris

023 Guidelines for playgrounds, Geneva, Switzerland | 2002–2003 | Client: City of Geneva

011 Master Plan of the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland | 2000–2001 | Client: State of Vaud | In collaboration with: Feddersen & Klostermann, urban planners, Zurich | Itinera, archaeologists, Lausanne 012 Azalées 2 Building, Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland | 2000 | Client: Petit-Saconnex Retirement Home

024 Green Belt, Villars-sur-Glâne, Switzerland | 2002 | Client: Municipality of Villars-sur-Glâne 025 Place du Molard, Geneva, Switzerland | 2002 | Client: City of Geneva 026 Strandbad Biel, Nidau, Switzerland | 2002–2004 | Client: City of Bienne | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva | 4d Landschaftsarchitekten, Bern 027 ‘Geneva’ Bench | 2002 | Concept of urban furniture

013 Place des Alpes, Geneva, Switzerland | 2001 | Client: City of Geneva

028 Saint-Jean Day Nursery, Geneva, Switzerland | 2002 | Client: City of Geneva

014 River Aire, Geneva, Switzerland | 2002–2016 | Client: State of Geneva | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva | B+C Ingénieurs, Onex | ZS Ingénieurs Civils, Onex | Biotec Biologie Appliquée, Delémont

029 Vengeron Port and Beach, Bellevue, Pregny-Chambésy, Switzerland | 2002 | Client: State of Geneva

317

030 Development of Faubourg of the River Thiele district, Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland | 2003 | Client: State of Vaud | In collaboration with: Monnerat Petitpierre Hunger, architects, Lausanne 031 Rampini Workshops Center, Vernier, Switzerland | 2002–2011 | Client: Rampini & Cie SA 032 Study for development of CEVA stations, Geneva, Switzerland | 2003–2004 | Client: State of Geneva | In collaboration with: Metron, urban planner, Bern | DeLaMa, architects, Geneva 033 Development of a path along the Rhône, Geneva, Switzerland | 2003 | Client: City of Geneva 034 Grand Théâtre Islet, Geneva, Switzerland | 2003 | Client: City of Geneva 035 Place Simon-Goulart, Geneva, Switzerland | 2003–2013 | Client: City of Geneva | In collaboration with: B. Ott & C. Uldry, civil engineers, Thônex | Les Éclairagistes Associés, Lyon 036 Place des Grands-Chênes, Villarssur-Glâne, Switzerland | 2002–2005 | Client: Municipality of Villars-sur-Glâne 037 Tree-planted square, Villars-sur-Glâne, Switzerland | 2003 | Client: Municipality of Villars-sur-Glâne 038 Jardins d’Éole, Paris, France | 2003– 2007 | Client: City of Paris | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva | Claire et Michel Corajoud, landscaping, Paris | Carmen Perrin, artist, Geneva | Les Éclairagistes Associés, Lyon | Stéphane Tonnelat and Yann Renaud, sociologists, Paris 039 Champs-de-Boujean Sports and Activity Center, Bienne, Switzerland | 2003–2015 | Client: City of Bienne | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva 040 École de culture générale Le Rolliet, Plan-les-Ouates, Switzerland | 2003 | Client: State of Geneva 041 Bear Park, Bern, Switzerland | 2003 | Client: City of Bern 042 Rampini & Cie Administrative Building, Vernier, Geneva | 2003–2004 | Client: Rampini & Cie SA 043 Feasibility study of the Nouvelle Comédie, Geneva, Switzerland | 2003– 2004 | Client: City of Geneva

045 Place Nautique, Lyon, France | 2004–2012 | Client: SPL Lyon Confluence | In collaboration with : Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva

059 Polizei & Justizzentrum, Zurich, Switzerland | 2006 | Client: Canton of Zurich | In collaboration with: Staufer & Hasler Architekten, Frauenfeld

046 Outside development of SuisseRomande Télévision, Geneva, Switzerland | 2004 | Client: SRG SSR Idée Suisse (Swiss radio and television broadcasters)

060 Le Pommier apartment building, Geneva, Switzerland | 2006 | Client: CODHA (Coopérative de l’Habitat Associatif —Community Housing Cooperative)

047 Route de Cormanon, Villars-sur-Glâne, Switzerland | 2004 | Client: Municipality of Villars-sur-Glâne

061 Eaux-Vives School, Geneva, Switzerland | 2006–2009 | Client: City of Geneva

048 Master plan for Ouest Lausannois district, Switzerland | 2004–2005 | Clients: Municipalities of Ouest Lausannois, City of Lausanne, State of Vaud | In collaboration with: Citec, mobility engineers, Geneva | Itinera, archaeologists, Lausanne

062 Rade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland | 2006 | Client: State of Geneva

049 Aire River emergency measures, Geneva, Switzerland | 2004 | Client: State of Geneva 050 EMS La Girarde, Épalinges, Switzerland | 2004 | Client: Fondation du Relais 051 Route de Cossonay, Ouest Lausannois district, Switzerland | 2005–2008 | Clients: Municipalities of Crissier and Prilly, City of Renens, State of Vaud | In collaboration with: Citec, mobility engineers, Geneva | Itinera, archaeologists, Lausanne 052 Master plan of Eaux-Vives District, Geneva, Switzerland | 2005 | Client: State of Geneva 053 Commercial lake port, Geneva, Switzerland | 2005 | Client: Rampini & Cie SA 054 General offices, Rampini & Cie, Vernier, Switzerland | 2005 | Client: Rampini & Cie SA 055 Liebefeld Park, Koeniz, Switzerland | 2005 | Client: Municipality of Koeniz 056 Parc de Saône, Lyon, France | 2005– 2012 | Client: SAEML Lyon Confluence | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva 057 Confluence House, Lyon, France | 2005–2006 | Client: SAEML Lyon Confluence | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva 058 Development of the exterior of Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland | 2006 | Client: State of Geneva | In collaboration with: Olivier Genuin, architect, Geneva | Pascal Hüni, architect, Geneva

044 Rue de Genève Tramway, Thônex, Switzerland | 2003–2009 | Client: Municipality of Thônex 318

063 Bypass north of Thun, Steffisburg, Switzerland | 2006–2010 | Clients: Municipality of Steffisburg, Canton of Bern | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva | mrs partners, mobility engineers, Zurich | Mantegani & Wysseier, civil engineers, Bienne 064 Footbridges of the Bois de Finges, Salgesh, Switzerland | 2006 | Client: State of Valais | In collaboration with: edms, civil engineers, Lancy 065 Praille-Acacias-Vernets neighborhood, Geneva, Switzerland | 2006 | Client: State of Geneva | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva 066 Master plan for Ouest lausannois district, Route de Cossonay, Lausanne, Switzerland | 2006 | Client: State of Vaud 067 Grottes neighborhood apartment building, Geneva, Switzerland | 2006 | Client: CODHA (Coopérative de l’Habitat Associatif —Community Housing Cooperative) 068 Champel-Hôpital pedestrian link, Geneva, Switzerland | 2006–2007 | Client: State of Geneva 069 Weinbergli apartment building, Lucerne, Switzerland | 2007 | Client: Private owner | In collaboration with: Staufer & Hasler Architekten, Frauenfeld 070 Escher Wyss-Platz, Zurich, Switzerland | 2007 | Client: City of Zurich | In collaboration with: Fabrice Gygi, artist, Geneva | Tobias Eugster, architect, Zurich | Ingeni, civil engineers, Carouge 071 Development of the exterior of ChampsFréchets School, Meyrin, Switzerland | 2007 | Client: Municipality of Meyrin 072 Plage des Eaux-Vives, Geneva, Switzerland | 2009–current | Client: State of Geneva | In collaboration with: edms, civil engineers, Lancy | LLJ, architects, Geneva

073 Esplanade du Palais des Congrès, Bienne, Switzerland | 2007 | Client: City of Bienne

087 North-east crossing of Yverdonles-Bains, Switzerland | 2008–2009 | Client: Bureau d’agglomération aggloY

102 Pfingstweidareal, Zurich, Switzerland | 2010 | Client: City of Zurich | In collaboration with: Tobias Eugster, architect, Zurich

074 Study for shores development, Geneva, Switzerland | 2007–current | Client: City of Geneva

088 Coupe Gordon-Bennett neighborhood, Vernier, Switzerland | 2008–2013 | Client: Implenia Développement, Geneva

103 Eaux-Vives parking lot, Geneva, Switzerland | 2010–2011 | Client: Private owners

075 Bicycle station Cornavin, Geneva, Switzerland | 2010–2011 | Client: City of Geneva

089 Compliance upgrade of tramway stops, Geneva, Switzerland | 2008–current | Client: City of Geneva

104 Bex Industrial Park test study, Switzerland | 2010 | Client: Municipality of Bex

076 Master plan for Ouest Lausannois district, TP-TIM-MD integration, Lausanne, Switzerland | 2007–2008 | Client: Lausanne Transports | In collaboration with: Citec, mobility engineers, Geneva

090 Plaine de Plainpalais, Geneva, Switzerland | 2008–current | Client: City of Geneva | In collaboration with: Carlos Lopez, architect, Geneva | Le collectif, civil engineers, Carouge

105 Development of a 30km/h zone, Gland, Switzerland | 2010–2011 | Client: Municipality of Gland

077 Rue du Midi, Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland | 2007–2009 | Client: Bureau d’agglomération aggloY | In collaboration with: mrs partners, mobility engineers, Zurich

091 Erection of a public work of art, Chandieu district, Geneva, Switzerland | 2008–2012 | Client: City of Geneva | In collaboration with: Fabrice Gygi, artist, Geneva

078 Chemin de la Sallaz, Yverdon-lesBains, Switzerland | 2007–2011 | Client: Municipality of Yverdon-les-Bains | In collaboration with: Perret-Gentil + Rey & Associés, civil engineers, Yverdon-les-Bains

092 Neue Aarebrücke, Thun, Switzerland | 2008 | Client: Canton of Bern | In collaboration with: Marc Mimram, engineer, Paris

106 Confignon Gardens, Geneva | 2010 | Client: Municipality of Confignon | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva 107 Sous-le-Bourg neighborhood development, Aigle, Switzerland | 2010 | Client: Municipality of Aigle | In collaboration with: Alain Wolff, architect, Vevey | Rapin Saiz, architect, Vevey

079 Place Communale, Prangins, Switzerland | 2007–2008 | Client: Municipality of Prangins

093 Agglo-Y, Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland | 2008–2009 | Client: Bureau d’agglomeration AggloY | In collaboration with: Fischer Montavon + associés, urban planners, Yverdon-les-Bains | mrs partners, mobility engineers, Zurich

108 Repair and fitting of railway track bed, Montreux, Switzerland | 2010 | Client: City of Montreux

080 Nyon Gymnasium, Switzerland | 2007– 2008 | Client: Municipality of Nyon | In collaboration with: Groupe8, architects, Geneva

094 Test study for Nyon-St-Cergue-Moret railway line, Nyon, Switzerland | 2008– 2009 | Client: Franco-Vaud-Genevan agglomeration project

110 Chemin Château-Bloch, Vernier, Switzerland | 2010–2011 | Client: Municipality of Vernier | In collaboration with: edms, civil engineers, Lancy

081 En Broye District Plan, Prilly, Switzerland | 2008 | Client: Municipality of Prilly

095 Route de Broye, Prilly, Switzerland | 2008–2009 | Client: Municipality of Prilly

111 Lausanne-Morges conurbation project, Switzerland | 2011–2012 | Clients: State of Vaud, Lausanne Region, Morges Region | In collaboration with: Fischer Montavon + associés, urban planners, Yverdon-lesBains | Citec, mobility engineers, Geneva | CSD, environment engineers, Lausanne

082 Y-Park, Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland | 2008–2012 | Client: PST condominium (City of Yverdon-les-Bains, state insurance company, State of Vaud) | In collaboration with: Fischer Montavon + associés, urban planners, Yverdon-les-Bains 083 Development of the exterior of Notre-Dame du Lac School, Cologny, Switzerland | 2008 | Client: Private owner 084 Development of a 30km/h zone, Chavannes-près-Renens, Switzerland | 2008 | Client: Municipality of Chavannesprès-Renens 085 Kunsthaus, Zurich, Switzerland | 2008 | Client: City of Zurich | In collaboration with: Aires Mateus, architects, Lisbon | Pool Architekten, Zurich 086 Overseeing the landscaping of a public transport platform, Stettbach, Switzerland | 2008 | Client: VGB Verjehrsbetriebe Glattal

096 Landscape integration of a waterskiing basin, Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland | 2009 | Client: Private owner 097 Continuity of pedestrian paths, Montagny-près-Yverdon, Switzerland | 2009 | Client: Bureau d’agglomeration AggloY | In collaboration with: Christe & Gygax, mobility engineers, Yverdon 098 Cyclable path expertise, Morges, Switzerland | 2009 | Client: City of Morges 099 Route de la Maladière, Lausanne, Switzerland | 2009–2010 | Client: State of Vaud 100 Rhône Baths, Geneva, Switzerland | 2010–2011 | Client: State of Geneva 101 Jardins de la Rouvenaz, Montreux, Switzerland | 2010 | Client: City of Montreux | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva | mrs partners, mobility engineers, Zurich

109 Geronde Beach, Sierre, Switzerland | 2010 | Client: Municipality of Sierre

112 Palettes Park and Community Center, Grand-Lancy, Switzerland | 2011 | Client: City of Lancy | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva | LLJ, architects, Geneva | Les Éclairagistes Associés, Lyon 113 Football stadium and olympic swimming pool, Lausanne, Switzerland | 2011 | Client: City of Lausanne | In collaboration with: Pool Architekten, Zurich 114 Extension of a private house, Geneva, Switzerland | 2011 | Client: Private owner 115 Apartment building, Chêne-Bourg, Switzerland | 2011 | Client: CODHA (Coopérative de l’Habitat Associatif— Community Housing Cooperative) 116 Grandes-Buttes neighborhood development, Rolle, Switzerland | 2011 | Client: Municipality of Rolle

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117 Rambaud Quay, Lyon, France | 2011– current | Client: SPL Lyon Confluence (Lyon Confluence public local firm) | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva | Les Éclairagistes Associés, Lyon 118 Rue de l’Industrie, Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland | 2011–current | Client: City of Yverdon-les-Bains 119 Canal Oriental, Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland | 2011–current | Client: City of Yverdon-les-Bains 120 St.-François-Terreaux-Chauderon, Lausanne, Switzerland | 2011–current | Client: City of Lausanne, Lausanne Transport | In collaboration with: ZS, civil engineers, Onex 121 Exterior development of the PontRouge neighborhood, Geneva, Switzerland | 2011–2012 | Clients: CFF Immobilier (Swiss Federal Railways Real Estate), State of Geneva | In collaboration with: Burckhardt+Partner, architects, Carouge 122 Landscaping of the banks of the Rhône, Sion, Switzerland | 2011–2012 | Client: City of Sion | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva 123 Green Belt, Ostend, Belgium | 2012–current | Client: City of Ostend | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva | Technum, engineering consultants, Ghent 124 Mont-Blanc footbridge, Geneva, Switzerland | 2011–2012 | Client: City of Geneva | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva 125 Development of the exterior of an administrative building, Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland | 2011–current | Client: Implenia Développement, SA 126 Development of the exteriors of Vergers neighborhood, Meyrin, Switzerland | 2012 | Client: Municipality of Meyrin | In collaboration with: edms, civil engineers, Lancy | Les Éclairagistes Associés, Lyon 127 Conversion of an industrial building, Route des Jeunes, Carouge, Switzerland | 2012 | Client: Private owners | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architects, Geneva | LLJ, architects, Geneva 128 Renovation and conversion of an activity building, Geneva, Switzerland | 2012 | Client: Private owners | In collaboration with: MCBD, architects, Geneva 129 Neumarktplatz, Bienne, Switzerland | 2012 | Client: City of Bienne | In collaboration with: GLS Architekten, Bienne

130 Moillesulaz Customs, Thônex, Switzerland | 2012–current | Client: State of Geneva | In collaboration with: ZS, civil engineers, Onex 131 Vallon neighborhood, Lausanne, Switzerland | 2012 | Client: City of Lausanne 132 Paudèze River, Paudex, Switzerland | 2012–2016 | Clients: State of Vaud, Municipalities of Pully and Paudex 133 Feasibility study for Pra-Riond Canal, Rennaz, Switzerland | 2012 | Client: Municipality of Rennaz 134 Place d’Armes and Famolens opening, Rolle, Switzerland | 2012 | Client: Municipality of Rolle 135 Champel RER stop public space, Geneva, Switzerland | 2012 | Client: City of Geneva 136 Footbridge over the Rhône, Vernier, Onex, Switzerland | 2012–current | Clients: Cities of Vernier and Onex, Geneva Industrial Services | In collaboration with: Ingeni, civil engineers, Carouge | Rampini construction, civil engineers, Vernier | Zwalen & Mayr, metal structure firm, Aigle | Freyssinet, suspension cable firm, Moudon 137 Development of a mixed neighborhood, Givisiez, Switzerland | 2012–2013 | Client: Municipality of Givisiez 138 Grand Morillon, Geneva, Switzerland 2012 | Client: Private owners 139 Development of the Middelkerk shores, Belgium | 2012 | Client: Municipality of Middelkerk 140 Cherpines neighborhood, Plan-lesOuates, Confignon, Switzerland | 2012–current | Clients: Municipalities of Plan-lesOuates and Confignon, State of Geneva | In collaboration with: Urbaplan, urban planners, Geneva | edms, civil engineers, Lancy | RGR, mobility engineers, Geneva 141 Place du Cimetière, Thônex, Switzerland | 2013–2015 | Client: Municipality of Thônex 142 Development of the exteriors of Similor housing, Carouge, Geneva | 2013–current | Client: Losinger Marazzi, Geneva 143 Place du Rhône, Geneva, Switzerland | 2013–2016 | Client: City of Geneva 144 Plaine de l’Aire Park, Saint-Julien, France | 2013–current | Client: Municipality of Saint-Julien 145 Development of Raversijde shores, Ostend, Belgium | 2013 | Clients: Municipality of Ostend, State of Belgium 320

146 Development of the exteriors of Sumisura mixed ensemble, Geneva, Switzerland | 2013–current | Client: Swisslife, Zurich | In collaboration with: NOMOS, architects, Geneva 147 Partial plan for the assignment of Chauderon, Lausanne, Switzerland | 2013 | Client: City of Lausanne 148 Urban distribution road, Eysin, Switzerland | 2014 | Client: Muncipality of Eysin 149 Low-cost housing buildings, Avenue Henri-Golay, Geneva, Switzerland | 2014 | Client: Fondation HBM Emile-Dupont 150 Étoile sector, Geneva, Switzerland | 2013 | Client: State of Geneva | In collaboration with: Burckhardt+Partner, architects, Carouge | mrs partners, mobility engineers, Zurich | Schlaich Bergermann + Partner, civil engineers, Stuttgart | Wüest & Partner, economists, Geneva 151 Vernets Barracks neighborhood, Geneva, Switzerland | 2013–current | Clients: State of Geneva, Groupe Ensemble, Geneva | In collaboration with: Fruehauf, Henry & Viladoms, architects, Lausanne 152 Brinaz-Les Tuileries pedestrian connection, Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland | 2013 | Client: AggloY Agglomeration Bureau 153 Quai des Matériaux, Brussels, Belgium | 2013–current | Clients: Service Public fédéral mobilité et transport (Federal public Mobility and Transport service), Beliris | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva | MS-A, architects, Brussels | Technum, engineering consultants, Brussels | Les Éclairagistes Associés, Lyon 154 Communaux d’Ambilly neighborhood, Thônex, Switzerland | 2014–current | Clients: State of Geneva, Municipality of Thônex, C2I-Batima | In collaboration with: Urbaplan, urban planners, Geneva | Charles Pictet, architect, Geneva 155 Chemin du Bois-des-Arts, Thônex, Switzerland | 2013–current | Client: Municipality of Thônex 156 Cours des Nobels, Geneva, Switzerland | 2013–2014 | Client: State of Geneva 157 Landscaped hillocks, Grandson, Switzerland 2014 | Client: Municipality of Grandson 158 Exterior development of Ticle neighborhood, Delémont, Switzerland | 2014 | Client: HRS Real Estate, Delémont

159 Exterior development for the extension of Fribourg University, Switzerland | 2014 | Client: State of Fribourg 160 Feasibility study for a network of footpaths, Carouge, Switzerland | 2014 | Client: City of Carouge 161 Place d’Armes, Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland | 2014 | Client: City of Yverdonles-Bains | In collaboration with: Les Éclairagistes Associés, Lyon | mrs partners, mobility engineers, Zurich | Luca Pattaroni, sociologist, Geneva 162 Boulevard des Abarois, Bernex, Switzerland | 2014 | Client: State of Geneva | In collaboration with: T-ingénierie, civil engineers, Geneva | Citec, mobility engineers, Geneva 163 Development of Entre-Deux-Chemins neighborhood, Prangins, Switzerland | 2014 | Client: Municipality of Prangins 164 CFF (Swiss Federal Railways) depots, Renens, Switzerland | 2014–current | Clients: Municipality of Renens, CFF Immobilier (Swiss Federal Railways Real Estate) 165 Eymatt, Bern, Switzerland | 2014 | Client: City of Bern 166 Paudèze sector, Pully, Switzerland | 2014–2015 | Client: Municipality of Pully 167 Development of the exterior of a housing complex, Avenue des Eidguenots, Geneva, Switzerland | 2014–current | Client: Private owner | In collaboration with: Oleg Calame, architect, Geneva 168 Guidelines for re-development of Boisde-la-Bâtie, Geneva, Switzerland | 2014 | Client: City of Geneva | In collaboration with: Urbaplan, urban planners, Geneva | BCPH, environment engineers, Carouge | CERA, civil engineers, Geneva | Luca Pattaroni, sociologist, Geneva 169 Esplanade du Flon, Lausanne, Switzerland | 2015–2017 | Client: Mobimo SA, Lausanne | In collaboration with: Les Éclairagistes Associés, Lyon 170 Study of landscape integration of SouthGeneva road connection, Switzerland | 2014 | Client: State of Geneva 171 Development of the exterior of Entrepôts de Renens neighborhood, Switzerland | 2104 | Client: CFF Immobilier (Swiss Federal Railways Real Estate) 172 Development of a private property entrance, Chênes-Bougeries, Switzerland | 2014 | Client: Private owner

174 Praille-Ouest district blueprint, Geneva, Switzerland | 2015–current | Clients: State of Geneva, Cities of Carouge and Lancy, Fondation pour les terrains industriels de Geneva (Foundation for Industrial Terrain of Geneva) 175 Landscaping integration of Bienne motorway bypass, Switzerland | 2015 | Clients: City of Bienne, Canton of Bern 176 Development of the exterior of Messidor Tower, Lausanne, Switzerland | 2015–current | Client: Private owner | In collaboration with: Charles Pictet, architect, Geneva 177 Route de Veyrier, Carouge, Switzerland 2015–current | Client: City of Carouge 178 Revision of urban development side of Lausanne-Morges conurbation project, Switzerland | 2015–2016 | Client: State of Vaud | In collaboration with: Urbaplan, urban planners, Lausanne | Transitec, mobility engineers, Lausanne | Biol conseils, biologists, Lausanne 179 La Pala student housing, Chavannesprès-Renens, Switzerland | 2015 | Client: State of Vaud 180 Development of the exteriors of ChâtelSt-Denis station district, Switzerland | 2015–2016 | Clients: Municipality of ChâtelSt-Denis, Fribourg public transport, State of Fribourg | In collaboration with: Urbaplan, urban planners, Lausanne | Eric Maria Architects Associés, Geneva | Transitec, mobility engineers, Lausanne | BG-MG Partenaires, mobility engineers, ChâtelSt-Denis | Team+, urban planning consultants, Bulle 181 Chamberonne River, Lausanne, Switzerland | 2015–current | Client: City of Lausanne 182 Hautes Écoles campus, Bienne, Switzerland | 2015-current | Client: Canton of Bern 183 Place de Rive, Geneva, Switzerland | 2015 | Client: City of Geneva 184 Place de Sardaigne, Carouge, Geneva, Switzerland | 2015 | Client: City of Carouge 185 Study for landscaping integration of Montfleury Road, Vernier, Switzerland | 2017–current | Client: State of Geneva 186 Master plan of footpaths, Conches, Switzerland | 2015–current | Client: Municipality of Chêne-Bougerie

173 Development of the exterior of La Gradelle housing complex, Cologny, Switzerland | 2015 | Client: Private owner 321

187 Conversion of village house, Satigny, Switzerland | 2016 | Client: Private owner 188 Development of the exteriors of housing complex in Claire-Vue neighborhood, Lancy, Switzerland | 2015–current | Client: Caisse de pension de l’UBS (UBS Pension Fund) | architect: Jaccaud-Spicher 188 Development of the exterior of housing complex in Claire-Vue neighborhood, Lancy, Switzerland | 2015–current | Client: Caisse de pension de l’UBS (UBS Pension Fund) | architect: Jaccaud-Spicher 189 Dok Zuid, Antwerp, Belgium | 2015– current | Client: City of Antwerp | In collaboration with: Georges Descombes, architect, Geneva | Technum, consultant engineers, Brussels

Authors

Sonia Curnier

Sébastien Marot

Born in 1985, Sonia Curnier received a master’s in architecture with a minor in territorial development from the EPFL in 2010. After two years in town planning, she returned to the institution as a research assistant at Laboratory of Theory and History of Architecture—Laboratoire de théorie et d’histoire de l’architecture (LTH2). In 2013, she began a doctoral thesis on contemporary trends in urban public space development from a design perspective.

Born in 1961, Sébastien Marot is a philosopher and doctor of history. He was delegate general of the French Society of Architects from 1986 to 2002, where he founded and directed La Tribune d’histoire et d’actualité, and later the magazine Le Visiteur. His work focuses on the genealogy of contemporary architecture, urban development, and landscape theories and practices. After teaching at several architectural and landscape schools in Europe and North America (including the Architectural Association, GSD Harvard, Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania, and ETH Zurich), he is now an assistant professor of history at the École d’architecture de la ville et des territoires at Marne-la-Vallée and a visiting professor at the EPFL, where he teaches environmental history, and at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design.

Thierry Maeder Born in 1989, Thierry Maeder is a geographer and graduate of the University of Lausanne (UNIL). He is currently working on a doctoral thesis in urban planning and development at the University of Geneva, where he also teaches urban projects. His research focuses on changes in planning policies by analyzing patterns of production of art in the public space and the link between the arts, the city, and critique. From 2014 to 2016, he worked with Atelier Descombes Rampini as geographer/ town planner. Bruno Marchand Born in 1955, Bruno Marchand received his architectural degree from the EPFL in 1980 and a Doctor of Science in 1992. A professor of architecture theory at the EPFL, where he is director of the Laboratory of Theory and History of Architecture (LTH2) and the EPFL’s Institute of Architecture, he was also a visiting professor at the Nantes School of Architecture. Founder of the journal matières, his work focuses on architectural modernity and collective housing. He was an associate member of the DeLaMa urban planning office in Geneva until 2014. In addition to his academic work, he is also an independent architect and urban planner.

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Luca Pattaroni Born in 1970, Luca Pattaroni has a PhD in sociology from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (Paris) and the University of Geneva. He is currently a senior lecturer at the EPFL Laboratory of Urban Sociology’s (LaSUR) Institute of Architecture. He has also been a visiting professor at the Federal Universities of Rio de Janeiro and Fluminense (Brazil) and a visiting fellow at Columbia University (New York). His work focuses on how contemporary cities are used and appropriated based on an analysis of changes in lifestyles, collective action and the production processes of the built environment (habitat and public space). He is also working to redevelop tools for critical thinking about the contemporary city and its renewed potential for emancipation and oppression.



Editor: Bruno Marchand Concept: Atelier Descombes Rampini, Geneva Texts: Sonia Curnier, Thierry Maeder, Bruno Marchand, Sébastien Marot, Luca Pattaroni, and Atelier Descombes Rampini Photographs by Atelier Descombes Rampini, except: Fabio Chironi: pp. 1, 8–9, 26–27, 38–39, 48–49, 84–85, 88–89. Serge Fruehauf: pp. 2–3, 28–31, 80–81. Jacques Berthet: pp. 4–7, 10–11, 40–47. Alain Grandchamp: pp. 12–13, 58–63, 90–93, 328–331. Martin Stollenwerk: pp. 32–37. Yves André: pp. 50–57. Olivier Wogenscky: pp. 64–71. Laurence Danière (for SPL Lyon Confluence): pp. 72–73. Olivier Zimmermann: pp. 82–83. Pascal Blitz: pp. 86–87. Laurent Goei: pp. 126–187. Jérôme Boucherat (for SPL Lyon Confluence): pp. 324–325 Other illustrations by Atelier Descombes Rampini, except: Tobias Eugster: pp. 204–207. Archigraphie: pp. 243, 250, 255, 259, 264, 271, 272, 277, 279, 283, 295, 305, 308. Projet d’agglomération LausanneMorges: pp. 274–275. Loomn: p. 290 Translation from French into English: Author papers—Jessica Strelec, except for the Sébastien Marot paper, translated by Andrew Ayers; Project texts—Chloé Baker Proofreading: Jo Garden Copy editing/Project management: Marco Rampini Production: Thierry Maeder, Sabrina Neffah Jacquat Graphic design: Valentin Brustaux, Zurich Lithography: Bombie, Geneva Typeface: Plain, Optimo Cover material : Duchesse Nachtblau Paper: Blocker, 135 g/m2 Printing and binding: Kösel GmbH & Co. KG, Altusried Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publi-cation data A CIP catalog record for this book has been applied for at the Library of Congress. Bibliographic information published by the German National Library The German National Library lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de. This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, re-use of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in other ways, and storage in databases. For any kind of use, permission of the copyright owner must be obtained.

I look down Turbinenplatz, Zurich, 2003 5 of the 871 cast iron parts that comprise the square’s gutters were cast with the inscription “Ich schaue zu Boden” and scattered over its 14,400m2.

This publication is also available as an e-book (ISBN PDF 978-30356-0615-7) and in the original French language edition by Infolio Publishers, Gollion, Switzerland (ISBN 978-2-88474-464-5)

Height of the letters: 2.5 cm, length of the phrase: 50cm, or 0.0125 m2 five times (0.0625 m2 capital letters in the public space, or 0.0000043% of the square’s surface).

© 2017, Birkhäuser Verlag GmbH, Basel PO Box 44, 4009 Basel, Switzerland Part of Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

An anonymous, non-utilitarian or proprietary inscription one stumbles across inadvertently.

Printed in Germany ISBN 978-3-0356-0613-3 www.birkhauser.com

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