Designing a rivergarden
The Aire river flows through valleys historically devoted to farming. From late 19th century it was progressively canalized. In 2001 State of Geneva opened a competition with the idea of restoring the river to its original shape by destroying the canal. We instead proposed to combine the canal with a vast divagation space for the river. In the process the canal becomes the pointer for the transformations, a reference line giving the possibility to understand the before and after.
The design associated the new river and a series of gardens in the former canal. In reality the whole design becomes a linear garden that organises situations, views, presences. The footprint of the canal is a key device for building the necessary calm and interiority without which there is no real garden. It is a permanent trace which introduces a complex temporality, both past and future, memory and desire.
For the drawing of the river - conscious of the useless effort to design a fixed river bed – we proposed a launching pattern whose form addresses the play between the river flow and the prepared terrain. This diamond-shape pattern opens a complex serie of undetermined channels for the flows. The results are beyond our expectations: the river flows, displacing diverse materials, gravels, sand and the geometrical matrix of lozenges is significantly modified. We must accept this paradox: the more defined the grid given to the river, the more the river will be free to design.
Bussien Gregory: Architect - ADR
Chavez Juan: Engineer - Léman-Eau
Tipologia | Restauració d'espais naturals |
Promotor | Induni sa/Scrasa sa/Sitel sa |
Client | State of Geneva |
Promoció | Pública |
Coordinades | 46.168994, 6.087128 |
Localització | Plaine de l'Aire, Geneva, Geneva, Confignon, Suïssa |
Àrea | 50 Hectares |
Cost | 100 |
Any inici | 2002 |
Any finalització | 2015 |