Lake Geneva

The project for the refurbishment of the waterfronts of La Rade understands Lake Geneva as a complex juxtaposition of layers with varying temporality and scope. The strategy focuses in utilizing the forces of La Bise, the extreme North-East wind pattern, to achieve a lively rehabitation and renaturalization of La Rade. An evolving interplay of vegetated soft edge conditions and programmed acupunctural infrastructure reimagines Geneva’s historic anthropocentric rectilinear waterfront. As a result, habitat and occupational variance increase over time alongside professional activities. By fore fronting an interconnected transformative ecological and architectural system, the project tells the long-term narrative of La Rade. Consequently, it promotes temporality and building a new understanding of this hybrid urban landscape.

The landscaped edge imagines a permanent solution able to support the ephemeral character of seasonal ecological and anthropogenic activities. It takes into consideration the prominent winds and water currents on Lake Geneva to combine diverse lakeshore renaturalization solutions. These solutions aim to maintain excellent water quality and encourage the proliferation of beneficial local flora and fauna species.