Saint-Jean 21-29, Genève
Short description
The two new buildings, which belong to an institutional investor, were erected on a plot of land between Rue St. Jean and Rue Miléant in Geneva and contribute to the densification of a neighbourhood that was previously partly built up with villas.
The project
The two buildings were designed on the same basis and delineate carefully designed outdoor areas from which all car traffic has been banned. A large central avenue, designed in co-operation with the city garden department, is a special feature of the ensemble. The buildings are generally tailored to the needs of families and fulfil the classic building criteria, which are intended to ensure good quality but also cost-effective construction and maintenance. The project developed by the architects and realised under the management of a general contractor provides for façades made of prefabricated concrete elements with vacuum insulation. The exterior façades are sandblasted, making different grain sizes visible and allowing the entire façade to recognise the desired typology.
Services in detail
The two buildings are intended exclusively for residential construction and fulfil precise criteria to offer rent-free flats for the middle class that correspond to the logic of the old vocation of the neighbourhood. The programme envisages the development of 80 flats in two identical buildings, accessed via two and three entrances respectively and extending over six storeys plus ground floor and attic. A two-storey underground car park offers 132 parking spaces. The entire complex has a gross floor area of 11,142 m2, divided into 6,340 m2 and 4,802 m2.
The façades on the night side have small internal balconies, while on the day side they are divided by large, cantilevered balconies with stainless steel glass railings. The lift shafts are in different colours and accentuate the building volumes, while the buildings themselves are fitted with selective parapet awnings that contribute to the character of the project. The spacious and very bright flats have open-plan kitchens that are integrated into the living spaces. To take account of the proximity to the SBB railway tracks in the neighbouring cut-and-cover tunnel, the building is founded on a floor slab resting on a layer of vibration-damping material. The walls of the basement floors have the same insulation.
Construction volume: Residential: 39,660 m3 Garage + basement floors: 10,500 m3