Ancien Manège, Geneva, Switzerland

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Entrance via Rue Julienne-Piachaud

The Manège was built in 1829 to house a military riding hall in the historic centre of Geneva and was transformed into a garage in the 1930s. In 1950, two large in-situ concrete slabs in the central nave and ramps in one of the side volumes were added to turn the building into a car park. A participatory process, promoted by the association of local inhabitants, started in 2006 with the aim of returning the building to the life of the city with a varied public programme, which led to an open architecture competition.

The project proposes the careful restoration of the façades and timber roof structures, and the reuse of the 1950s concrete structure, combined with a selective demolition of the upper slab and ramps. The intention is to transform the Manège into a civic building with minimal intervention, seeking to recompose its spatial clarity and redefine its social and urban presence.

 

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Approach on Rue Saint-Léger

 

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Fountain and Rotonde

 

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Entrance

 

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Entrance hall

 

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Rotonde

 

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Rotonde

 

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Bench and curtain detail

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Creche

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Creche

 

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Creche

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Ludothèque

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Mezzanine

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Ludothèque

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Main stair

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Main stair

 

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Grand Salle

 

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Grand Salle

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Grand Salle

 

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Grand Salle

 

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Terrace

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Pergola

 

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Bathrooms

 

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Stair and skylight

 

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Handrail

 

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Pushchair parking

 

Transformation de l' Ancien Manège, Genève, Switzerland

Rue Colladon

Ground floor plan

 

First floor plan

 

Second floor plan

 

Loft plan

 

Longitudinal

 

Cross section

 

Elevation Rue Julienne-Piachaud

 

Elevation Rue Saint-Léger

 

Elevation Rue Jean-Daniel-Colladon

 

Credits:

International Design Competition: 1st prize
Project title: Réhabilitation d’un Ancien Manège en bâtiment d’équipements publics
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Client: DPBA, Ville de Genève
Architect: Estar, Aurora Armental Ruiz & Stefano Ciurlo Walker
Collaborators competition: Jan Liebe, Andrés Fraga, Laurent de Wurstemberger, Carlos Comendador
Collaborators project: Ingrid Gjermstad, Thomas Lorin, Maya Brams Koch, Xulio Turnes Vieito, María Esther Bergua Orduna, Inês Gomes, Sakura Aoba, Jon Onandia, Julia Nahmani, Riccardo Amarri, Johanna Hemberger, Alejandro Morales Martín

Civil engineer: ESM
Building physics: ESTIA
Building Survey: ARCHEOTEC
Surveyor: Buffet Boymond
Heating and ventilation engineer: Ecobuilding
Sanitary engineer: 2015-2019 BTS , execution BUCLIN
Electrical engineer: DSSA
Lighting strategy: Estar, Quicler-Lopez
Acoustic engineer: AAB
Security engineer: Phenix Conceils
Scenic engineer: VADAS
Wayfinding: Estar,
Model photography: Andrés Fraga
Building photography : Andrés Fraga and Luis Díaz Díaz
Competition: 2014
Design: 2015-2019
Construction: 2019-2021

The Manége was awarded the Clou Rouge by Patrimoine Suisse in 2024.