Resulting from a competition, the Prairie 2 project comprises 5 buildings, 3 of which are developed by the CCHE office and 2 by Magizan. These buildings are part of the new "Quartier Petite Prairie"
The project reinterprets the rules by creating an open island. This island is based on the idea of a single mass that fragments like a large shattered stone. To the north, the two corner buildings open out towards the Jura. The 2 East-West buildings face the parks and the courtyard. To the south, the whole closes being right along the Parc du Reposoir. The whole shape thus opens up many perspectives, offers a clear view without too much towards and offers a layout that gives rhythm to the district.
Neighbourhood scheme: smooth on the outside, space created on the inside
The new extension to the north of the city, planned 20 years ago, is based on the new ring road, thus defining the limit of these new urban territories. The strategy of dividing the area into urban parts characterizes the morphology of the district, with the Parc du Reposoir to the south and landscaped parking spaces to the north. The Petite Prairie 2 sector is located between 2 parks to the east and west, in continuity with the Parc du Reposoir to the south.
The concept proposes a reinterpretation of the rules by constituting a whole, an open island. The piece thus constituted is based on a concept of a single mass that fragments like a large stone shattered in order to adapt to the different environments. In the North, the definition of 2 angles creates an open square in relation to the Jura and the Lake Geneva landscape.
The materiality conjugates an economy of treatment with a declension in 2 parts, the one of the base and the one of the body of the building. The mineral treatment of the courtyard contrasts with the 2 parks located to the East and West in order to characterize this ensemble. This last treatment is repeated in the materiality of the base and the balconies in order to create the spatial unity. This space going between the different buildings hosts a succession of balconies to promote the vitality of this ensemble. The optimisation of the stairwells allows for greater vitality and social exchanges as well as a clear economy of construction. The rules and constraints of accessibility, parking and other components are integrated into the proposal and optimised to allow a flexible functioning of the car park.
The skyline of the different buildings fits into the different constrained gauges while offering a morphology that limits the face-to-face relationships. As a result, it opens up numerous perspectives and offers a cut-out that gives rhythm to the scale of the different situations. The expression of the buildings, which are diverse, offers diversity while characterizing this ensemble.
The 2 East-West buildings open onto the parks and the courtyard. To the south, the complex closes along the Parc du Reposoir. The complex thus created has a collective semi-public interior, a large stepped courtyard welcoming the entrances of the apartment buildings and serving as the heart favourable to vitality and protected spaces. The morphology of the buildings takes advantage of the different perspectives, offering multiple possibilities of visual clearance. Each building in the complex has its own specificities and thus allows a precise response to each situation. This diversity favours social and generational diversity. The proposed housing units, either crossing between parks and courtyards, or at an angle or mono-oriented on the East and West parks, offer a great typological diversity and solutions to respond to the demands. Likewise, the activities mainly to the north of the plot can also evolve into other uses allowing flexibility and reversibility of the system.
The complex creates a large semi-public courtyard to accommodate the entrances to the apartment buildings. This space, at the centre of the whole, hosts a succession of balconies to promote the vitality of the whole.
The proposed housing units, either crossing between the parks and courtyard, or at an angle or mono-oriented on the East and West parks, offer a typological diversity. Similarly, the activities, mainly in the north of the plot, can also evolve. The optimization of the stairwells allows to intensify the exchanges between the residents.
The courtyard has a mineral character and contrasts with the 2 parks located to the East and West to characterize this ensemble. This treatment is repeated in the basement and the balconies in order to create a spatial unity.
video by Implenia
The Petite Prairie 2 construction site under construction for summer
