Transitional Recreational Enjoyment Entrance
Within the surrounding area of the MICR, Ariana and the park Rigot down until the edge of Lake Geneva, the Promenade de la Paix promotes a pedestrian walkway that unites green spaces and parks of the area. During a site visit, we noticed that the entrance of the Park Rigot has been left unattended, and also happens to find itself on this pedestrian path. Upon reflection, this entrance could make a suitable stop for users as a place for a break to rest or eat while under the shade of an oak tree. The design is based on Gottfried Semper’s element of « le foyer », the hearth (defined as the floor of a fireplace or the area immediately adjacent and often extending out into the room), with an objective to consolidate and bring together the space in an orderly fashion. As the plans for the area including the tree nurseries, soil quality improvement favoring vegetation, tram rail modifications and notably paths encouraging pedestrian movement continue to be developed, we find the location of our proposal remains relevant to the future prospects of the park as well as its current standards. Specifically, the future infrastructure that concerns the chosen area are: new potential entrance to the Parc Rigot, the Promenade de la Paix, as well as the food trucks that may be allowed to park and offer diverse cuisines or snacks to passerby. By creating a space for occupants to inhabit and gather in a point that involves both the entrance of the park as well as a prominent soft mobility route, the entrance becomes arranged for resting, eating, enjoyment, even playing.
“Throughout all phases of society the hearth formed that sacred focus around which the whole took order and shape”
Semper, Gottfried. The Four Elements of Architecture, 1851.