Favarger-Papeterie, Versoix

The former industrial sites of the Favarger chocolate factory and the paper mill occupy a central location in Versoix, close to the railway station, the historic town centre and the River Versoix. While the site is largely derelict today, the test planning is exploring ways to breathe new life into this location and turn it into a district in its own right, with most of the craft activities being retained. One of the aims is to strengthen the connections between the two sites, which are located on either side of the railway line.

The project envisages a sequence of interconnected public spaces stretching from the harbour to the edge of the forest. Two new public squares are to be created in the craft district, which will be linked to public facilities such as the chocolate museum, the market hall and the library bar. The existing building fabric, which shapes the identity of the place, forms the basis of the project. This also meets economic and sustainability criteria. Along the Versoix-River, the banks will be renaturalised and calmed, with urban intensity concentrated in the interior of the neighbourhood.