Abstract
Built between 1963 and 1971, the Lignon satellite precinct in Geneva (Georges Addor, Dominique Julliard, Louis Payot, Jacques Bolliger) is regarded as the most spectacular housing development in post–war Switzerland. For some, it is an energy–guzzling black hole; for others, an historical monument. Either way, the Lignon has been in the spotlight. Faced with new imperatives to reduce energy consumption, a pilot project in the area of “conservation and thermal improvement” of the Lignon façades has been carried out by the Laboratory for Techniques and Preservation of Modern Architecture at the École Polytechnique Fédérale of Lausanne. The aim of this study is to introduce measures that will allow us to conserve the outer skin of the existing façades, while respecting energy standards, thereby guaranteeing the consistent level of intervention, across all 100,000 square meters of curtain walling, that the site deserves.
Keywords
Modern Movement,
Modern architecture,
Sustainable architecture,
Responsible architecture,
Global design,
Cité du Lignon,
Georges Addor,
Mass housing,
Swiss modern architecture,
Conservation of modern architecture,
Energy performance.
Issue 44
Year 2011
Pages 32-39
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.52200/44.A.ZLENV5L1