Demographic pressure is not weakening in the Malagnou district. While residential buildings are springing up like mushrooms, educational establishments are still missing. To cope with the increase in the number of students, the City of Geneva has launched several projects. With more or less success…
At the beginning of 2024, asserting its right of pre-emption, the Municipality recovered the plot of the Töpffer high school. The temporary installation of pavilions intended for extracurricular activities was planned from the start of the 2025 school year. But ultimately, that will not be the case… “It appeared that this was not possible, because the school premises do not respect legal standards in terms of safety and require significant work to bring them into compliance, indicates Anaïs Balabazan, spokesperson for the Department of Planning, Construction and Mobility (DACM). Work is underway to find a new temporary assignment.”
Ultimately, this land, acquired for 7.5 million francs, will accommodate housing, as well as a crèche.
In the meantime, the City received good news! The Confederation informed him “that the installation of temporary pavilions on the plot of the Charles-Martin promenade was compatible with the preservation of heritage”, reports the DACM communicator. In 2023, the land, located in Petite-Boissière, had been classified as a site to be protected by Bern, leading in particular to the abandonment of a school project. No primary school therefore, but temporary pavilions for extracurriculars. Four premises, a 120 m² refectory and toilets will be built there by the start of the 2025 school year. “This will make it possible to accommodate 150 children and transform the premises currently used by extracurricular activities in the Le school into classes. -Corbusier.”
Not far from there, another City project has collapsed: the transformation of more than 900 m² of offices into after-school reception. At the end of 2023, the Municipality had spent 8 million francs to acquire the site based at numbers 12 and 14, rue Le-Corbusier, opposite the school of the same name. Problem: the co-owners of the building have not all agreed to the change of use.
Last May, the modification was accepted for number 14. On the other hand, it was refused for number 12. Result: only number 14 will be able to accommodate children at the start of the 2028 school year, as planned. Number 12 should house administrative offices of the Department of Social Cohesion and Solidarity or part of the administrative premises of the Le-Corbusier school, in order to recover teaching or extracurricular space within of school. Projects which, however, remain hypothetical. The transformation studies will be launched in 2025.
