Crèche de Saint-Jean

Type

Éducation, Équipements publics, Espaces publics

Date de réalisation

2006

Ingénieur civil

Urner & Associés SA

Maître de l'ouvrage

Ville de Genève, service d'architecture

Autre(s) intervenant(s)

Architecte paysagiste : Biol Conseils SA

Surface brute

1'208 m2

Coût

6'500'000

Procédure

concours

Architecte

Pierre-Alain Dupraz Architecte

Interview de l'architecte

Descriptif

The partial covering of the railway lines linking Cornavin train station to Cointrin airport removes the historical separation between the two sides of the Saint-Jean district. Following these works, the installation of a day nursery along this new soft mobility corridor made sense, Among the constraints of this project, that of retaining the existing “contractor’s villa” led to the idea of creating a below-ground building in order to retain the existing urban character of small structures scattered along the railway tracks. The entrance to the day nursery, at the lower end of rue de Saint-Jean, is by a large overhang ramp, a concrete element that is both aesthetically pleasing and fun, as if thrust out into the void in the middle of a large patio open to the sky. The latter becomes a key reference space from around which the activity rooms run off, with possible accesses directly from outside. The layout of the floor area of this central space, also used as a classroom extension, encourages its appropriation. The plan manages to combine a courtyard typology and a clustering of adjoining rooms. With this solution that is both simple and innovative, the choice of materials becomes a major challenge. Here lightly textured concrete, which catches the light, very smooth glass panels, and white surfaces are the only materials used. This neutrality thus allows the eyes to focus on the inner courtyard.