Vermont-Varembé-Vidollet, Genève
This research explores the conditions shaping the transformation of the Varembé–Vermont–Vidollet district in Geneva through an interdisciplinary approach that combines urban planning, landscape architecture, heritage studies, and anthropology. Located at the intersection of “International Geneva,” residential neighborhoods, and several major public facilities, this area serves as an ideal testing ground for examining the relationships between urban densification, ecological transition, and quality of life.
The methodology is based on three complementary perspectives on the territory: the city in motion, the depth of the city, and heritage as a resource. It draws on mapping, field observations, morphological analyses, and dialogue with cantonal and municipal agencies.
The study highlights the existence of three urban realms—International Geneva, Residential Geneva, and the public amenities corridor—whose coexistence relies more on juxtaposition than on genuine interconnection. In light of this observation, the landscape is conceived as a relational infrastructure capable of articulating these different territorial realities. Ecological corridors, open spaces, community facilities, and non-motorized transportation become the foundations of a new form of urban cohesion.
Finally, the study advocates for a regenerative urbanism based on the qualitative transformation of the existing city. It outlines the contours of a potential “PLQ renovation” plan, capable of assessing and balancing not only buildability but also soil restoration, canopy expansion, ecological corridors, the transmission of know-how, and heritage resources. The Varembé–Vermont–Vidollet sector thus emerges as a testing ground for a post-carbon urbanity where landscape, heritage, living organisms, and urban development are all part of the same territorial infrastructure.
mandate type : urban study
client : City of Geneva
period: 2026
program: Varembé Sports Center, ecological and mobility corridors, international organizations, tangible and intangible heritage
services provided: overall site recommendations and recommendations by strategic sector
project lead: Lucile Ado
architecture and urbanism: Raum404
landscape architecture : Agence Ter
heritage : Florence Graezer Bideau
site area: 48ha