Jean Nouvel's Geneva museum expansion rejected by public vote, opening door for new proposals
Jean Nouvel’s long-running bid to renovate and expand Geneva’s Museum of Art and History has received what appears to be a fatal blow after his plans were narrowly rejected in a public vote.
Despite receiving planning approval and funding, the 131m CHF (US$129m, €120m, £93.4m) project to refresh Marc Camoletti’s 1910 neoclassical landmark faced a local referendum after criticism from campaigners.
According to Swiss reports, 54 per cent of voters called for the plans to be dropped.
In a statement, the Administrative Council of the City of Geneva said: “We regret that a funded project, which benefited from third party contributions of more than 50 per cent, has been buried.”
The body blasted opponents of the campaign for spreading “anti-truths” about the project and insisted that the expansion must go ahead in some form despite “heated exchanges” over its future.
Nouvel had planned to create new mezzanine and basement spaces within the building’s old walls to add 7,00sq m (75,300sq ft) in additional floor area. A restaurant was also to be added to the top floor – a factor which also angered campaigners.
The museum’s board has always insisted that Nouvel’s design, which was originated a decade ago, was “extremely faithful to the spirit of the existing building”, but opponents have hit out at the scale and cost of the renovation.
Writing in 2009, Pierre Vaisse, an architecture critic and art professor at the University of Geneva, said the project would “irreparably damage a building which, except for the lack of space, responds perfectly to its intended function by its layout, elevations and treatment of light.”
The Administrative Council has declared it will now press on with the expansion plans, albeit in a different guise.
“The goal is to successfully overcome divisions and to carry out the renovation and expansion needed for a building whose condition is worrying and does not meet what is expected of a museum of the 21st century,” it said.
The council will work with “consultants and stakeholders” to propose a new expansion scheme for the museum, opening the door for architects and designers to step forward with new ideas.
Private funding for Nouvel’s project had been provided by the Gandur Foundation for Art, several of Geneva’s watchmaking factories and the Göhner Foundation.
Jean Nouvel Geneva Switzerland Museum of Art and History Architecture Design referendumEurope's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Aman sister brand Janu launching in Tokyo in 2024 with design by Denniston's Jean-Michel Gathy
Three years after Pegasus Capital bought Six Senses, how close is the private equity firm to realising its goals for its first spa and hospitality investment? Pegasus’ founder Craig Cogut tells us what’s been achieved and what comes next