Public Facilities Building

Public Facilities Building 

Lacroix Chessex

Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista
Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista

ARCHITECTS
Lacroix Chessex

BUILDING PHYSICIST
Sorane Sa

DESIGN TEAM
Lacroix Chessex

SURVEYING ENGINEERING
Küpfer Géomètres Sa

CIVIL ENGINEER
Ingeni Sa Genève

SAFETY ENGINEER
Ecoservices Sa

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER
Ingenius Sàrl

SANITARY ENGINEER
Martin & Doy. Ingénieurs Conseils Sàrl, Magairaz Fredy

HEATING AND VENTILATION ENGINEER
Energestion Sa

ACOUSTIC ENGINEER
Acouconsult

AREA
4600 M²

YEAR
2021

LOCATION
Genève, Switzerland

CATEGORY
Educational Architecture, Public Architecture

Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista

The project forms part of the eco-district at Jonction. This public facilities building complements the three existing residential units.

Its program includes a crèche, a sports hall, premises for extracurricular activities and a multi-purpose hall.

Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista
Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista

On the site, this public facilities building is organized according to the principle of differentiated, yet related blocks offset against each other. 

The building’s compact design frees up land for a high-quality urban public space within the new district.

Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista
Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista

This square is in continuity with a series of urban open spaces that end at the corner opening onto the Rue des Gazomètres, thus creating a new entrance to the former Artamis site.

The project is distinguished by a large urban street frontage on the Boulevard Saint-Georges, highlighting its character as a major thoroughfare within the continuity of the urban fabric.

Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista
Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista

The design reinterprets the principle of public bases with more domestic functions accommodated above.

The three architectural programs have a very clear spatial distribution: the adult world (sports hall and multi-purpose hall) is located on the ground floor towards the earth and that of children above, reaching up to the sky.

Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista
Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista

A large concrete platform structure forms a clear boundary between these two worlds.

This platform also solves the issues of the large spanning distance by acting as a load-distributing slab, as well as serving as sound insulation.

Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista
Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista

The crèche itself is shaped like a large brick-built house, raised on top of the platform structure.

Organized around an inner courtyard open to the sky, this future Cité de l’enfance evokes the sandcastles of our childhood.

Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista
Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista

Like a small fortress amid the urban environment, it represents a safe haven where children can grow and develop in the heart of the city.


Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista
Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista
Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista
Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista
Public Facilities Building
© Olivier di Giambattista