GE Housing, Commerce and Workshop facilities
Carine Pimenta and Telmo Roriz
Arriving at ‘Route de Chancy’ in the place of Surville we are stroke with a peculiar mixture of feelings. We feel the uphill situation and the movement of the cars and their noise. Some insecurity can also be felt probably due to there not being a lot of street life around, there is just a handful of houses and a small number of inhabitants in the site.
The site is located in a high position of the city with remarkable view and green qualities as well as great proximity to the city-centre. However it seems that these characteristics have been underestimated and underappreciated.
The project tries to address this issue by bringing about dynamism and diversity of programs. It is defined by one continuous white concrete “slab” that covers the “socle” along the street and a shell of the same material that covers the whole building. This shell is in fact the defining image of the building, drawing a strong vertical rhythm on the side of the road (north) and a more horizontal contour that resembles a “city crown” on the opposite side. A screen of metal-perforated shutters fills the space under the shell and protects the double-aspect housing when it comes to lighting, noise and to guarantee privacy.
The “socle” brings simultaneous complexity and interest or subtility to the project. It talks about level-differences, the relation between the two sides of the site and of the mixing of programs such as commerce and ateliers, guaranteeing dynamism and a great atmosphere in the ground floor.
Finally, the tower finishes off the long volume of 300 meters and does the rotation between the two facades, guaranteeing unity to a building that had to give distinct answers to both sides of the terrain.
The site is located in a high position of the city with remarkable view and green qualities as well as great proximity to the city-centre. However it seems that these characteristics have been underestimated and underappreciated.
The project tries to address this issue by bringing about dynamism and diversity of programs. It is defined by one continuous white concrete “slab” that covers the “socle” along the street and a shell of the same material that covers the whole building. This shell is in fact the defining image of the building, drawing a strong vertical rhythm on the side of the road (north) and a more horizontal contour that resembles a “city crown” on the opposite side. A screen of metal-perforated shutters fills the space under the shell and protects the double-aspect housing when it comes to lighting, noise and to guarantee privacy.
The “socle” brings simultaneous complexity and interest or subtility to the project. It talks about level-differences, the relation between the two sides of the site and of the mixing of programs such as commerce and ateliers, guaranteeing dynamism and a great atmosphere in the ground floor.
Finally, the tower finishes off the long volume of 300 meters and does the rotation between the two facades, guaranteeing unity to a building that had to give distinct answers to both sides of the terrain.
Christian Kerez
Harry Gugger
