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The first artificially built “satellite town” in Switzerland is sandwiched between the airport, Cern and the French border – and is anything but a ghetto: Now the Swiss Homeland Security is paying tribute to the community of Meyrin for its contemporary development of this apartment block.
Primary school children cavort in the break area of the Boudines schoolhouse. They are hardly aware that they are right in the heart of the former satellite city – the apartment blocks that were built out of the ground in the 1960s.
The buildings are lined up, all with facades in the same style with lots of windows and balconies. In between there is a surprising amount of space and green space. The children simply love the large amount of space to play.
Legend:
Meyrin’s mayor is certain that the next generation will also feel at home in Meyrin.
SRF / Barbara Colpi
“Exemplary handling of post-war architecture”
Demolishing the buildings was never an option, says mayor Eric Cornuz. Rather, for example, they were looking for solutions together with the ETH Lausanne on how to renovate the façades in an energy-efficient way. Or you have installed solar cells on the flat roofs.
Sustainable redevelopment and preservation of open spaces, this approach convinced the Swiss homeland security, explains managing director Stefan Kunz: “The community has succeeded extremely well in maintaining this satellite city and developing it in a contemporary way. Dealing with post-war architecture and the architectural heritage is exemplary. “
The construction of this artificial so-called satellite city was a novelty in Switzerland in the 1960s. From the beginning, great importance was attached to social mixing. They wanted to prevent a ghetto from developing.
Cosmopolitan Meyrin
In the apartment blocks there are generous condominiums as well as social housing. Employees of international organizations, the CERN, lawyers and doctors live next door to less well-to-do families.
Hardly any other municipality in Switzerland is as cosmopolitan as Meyrin. As in all Geneva municipalities, foreigners can also vote and vote in Meyrin. This cultural diversity enriches coexistence and is part of Meyrin’s DNA, says Mayor Eric Cornuz.
On the playground, a primary school girl said that it was easy for her to integrate into school immediately. Your classmate appreciates that there are also classes for foreign speakers.
“More biodiversity for everyone”
Meyrin has continued to grow in recent years, and today the town has a population of almost 26,000. The result is a new, particularly sustainable quarter with an artificial lake, which is also a local recreation area, biotope and catchment basin for rainwater that can be used in the settlement.
Legend:
Concrete and biotope: Meyrin’s newest quarter shines in terms of sustainability.
SRF / Barbara Colpi
This also convinced the homeland security, says managing director Stefan Kunz: “Meyrin succeeds in bringing together the concerns of man and nature and in creating a high building culture with more biodiversity for everyone.”
For mayor Eric Cornuz, Meyrin is proof that a settlement with blocks of flats doesn’t just mean concrete, but also green spaces and cultural life. He grew up in Meyrin and couldn’t imagine a better place to raise his children here.
The primary school children in the Boudines school house definitely agree: living in Meyrin is better than anywhere else.