West 8 + b29 Collaborate on the Genève Manifestation ‘Genève, Villes et Champs’

The annual event Genève, villes et champs, is a manifestation that questions the models of coexistence between the city and the countryside.

From the 13th of June to the 4th of October, 15 sites along Lancy, Onex and Confignon districts in the Bernex area of Geneva will host landscape installations designed by artists, landscape designers, architects and urban planners from Switzerland and Europe. Their works will demonstrate the metamorphosis and coexistence of the city and the natural and agricultural landscape. 

The chosen locations have undergone significant changes and urban interventions within Genève. The aim is to draw attention to these locations and show how urban agglomeration can also respect the surrounding milieu, and sometimes even be inspired by it.

The public, is invited to follow a proposed path along these 15 sites, and encouraged to stop and discuss the future of the site and its use. This dialogue is also intended to highlight the importance of agricultural and cultural heritage, and the richness of local produce and the local economy.

The landscape intervention by West 8 + b29, an inflatable sculpture ‘Le Bélier Têtu’, is designed to address the exhibition’s manifesto. The district of Geneva is a beautifully balanced combination of towns, old villages, agriculture and serene nature. To ensure a sustainable future, the city and its “Lifestyle” must be in balance. The delicate transition between the city and the landscape needs to be discussed and safeguarded. The ‘Le Bélier Têtu’ (‘stubborn ram’) is the icon symbolic for this transition. 

On 27th June, a roundtable will be organized by the FBA (Fondation Braillard Architectes) in collaboration with West 8 and b29 architects for anyone interested in the subject of the densification of the city and the contemporary issues and challenges facing the City of Geneva.